Out of the Darkness
by Jedi Princess Clarrisani
Summary: With Tala and Bryan under Boris's wrath following their loss in the finals, Ian and Spencer plan to rescue them [warnings inside] Completed June 7 2004
1. Chapter 1

****

Out of the Darkness

This fic came about after a remark by Melanie of Level4Chaos about how she really needed to stop drawing angsty pictures of Tala. I replied that I should give it a shot, and after a couple of months of looking at her pics, I came about this little idea, and here it is, my present to Melanie for all her support and a thankyou for her wonderful pic of Kai/Ray/Lee for my fic _Frozen_. She has also drawn pictures for other writers inspired or for their stories, as well as just gift pics, and I thought it was time to return the favour. I hope she enjoys this as much as I enjoyed writing it, and I hope you all enjoy it as well.

****

Dedication: For Melanie, who enjoys torturing Tala just as much as the next person… or perhaps maybe just a little bit more…

****

Note: This is a Demolition Boys fic immediately following the Russian Championship Finals.

****

Warning: This fic contains shonen ai, torture, and references to rape. It is very angsty, so you are warned.

****

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade… unfortunately. 

* * *

****

Chapter 1

They exchanged a quick look, lavender meeting blue before their eyes snapped back to front, but that momentary glance had been enough to communicate each others suspicions as to why they had been called there.

Boris made another pass, the four boys remaining still, waiting for their mentor to break his silence, anger and fury radiating off him and sending waves of unease through them. The youngest, Ian, shifted marginally, straightening further and risking a glance toward his captain who had remained unmoving, though the threat was thick in the air.

"We lost."

Their attention focused once more on Boris, the man having stopped, facing away from them. He clenched his fists, lips pulled back in a snarl. "We _lost_!"

He spun around, the boys straightening as he slowly approached, as if he were a predator stalking down his prey. "After all our hard work, our years of research and development, bringing you all closer to perfection, you allowed yourselves to be defeated by a bunch of _amateurs_."

They remained silent. It was not their place to reply.

Boris moved along the line, eyes falling upon the tallest and oldest of the group. "Spencer, I must commend. Defeating Kai is a victory worth savouring. Kai has been a thorn in our side for years, and to defeat someone who believes himself invincible… is divine."

"But the rest of you," he walked straight passed Ian, gaze intent on the remaining two boys. "Are pathetic. Everything was in your favour. Your opponents were weak, and still you allowed them to crush you like you were nothing."

The captain drew a steady breath. "We underestimated them, sir. Next time we wi–"

"Next time?" Boris swung around, eyes boring into ice blue ones. "Next time, Tala? I'm afraid there will not _be_ a next time. For as we speak the authorities are closing in on Voltaire and the Biovolt Corporation. The BBA has enough information to destroy the company. Luckily they will find nothing to close down the Abbey, but it means the funding for our research will reduce drastically.

"Your loss means our chance for power has come and gone. We will never get that chance again. This was our one and only chance at success, and your incompetence has brought fourth our failure. Do you understand me?"

Tala straightened further. "Yes sir, I understand."

Boris scrutinised him through his goggles, then turned as if to move away, only to swing back around, closed fist catching Tala backhanded across the face. Tala had been prepared for the blow, but the force of it sent him stumbling to the side, leaving him off-balance when Boris attacked again, strike connecting to the solar plexus and doubling him over. The next blow threw Tala off his feet, slamming him back into the wall, sliding down it as he gasped, winded.

Boris made to attack again when he spotted something out of the corner of his eye. "Something the matter, Bryan?"

Bryan's lavender eyes were narrowed to thin slits, fists clenched at his side as he trembled in anger. He did not answer. He did not need to answer.

Boris stepped away from Tala, eyes on the lavender-haired teen. "You want to protect him, don't you? You always want to protect them. After all these years I would have thought you would know better than that by now."

Bryan clenched his jaw, fighting to keep down the anger. He would not lash out, not again. He must have control…

"You want to hit me." Boris moved closer. "You don't like it when I hit them and you want to return the favour. Just as you have done in the past. You are not their bodyguard. You are mine, just like the rest of them. You are _my_ blader, and you will follow _my_ orders. And, like Tala, you are a _failure_."

Boris's fist caught Bryan in the face, causing him to take a step back in an attempt to absorb it. He found himself pulled up short as a hand closed around his throat, dragging him forward roughly.

"You had Kon right where you wanted him," Boris snarled, grip tightening. "He was injured, weak. And yet you allowed him to defeat you."

"Kon had trick," Bryan forced out, struggling for a breath. "Never knew… bit beasts could do that. Caught me unaware."

"You should have been prepared for anything," Boris said, strangle hold now on the verge of breaking point. "And you should have compensated. You were trained to be able to handle any situation, and you were defeated. You disappoint me, Bryan."

With a sharp movement, he threw Bryan aside, the teen able to do nothing as he slammed into the wall and hit the ground beside Tala, breathing deeply now he could once again do so, body weak from the lack of oxygen.

Boris turned, taking in the remaining two boys. Both stood at attention, but the occasional eye twitch betrayed their concern for their teammates. How touching.

"You two will report to training room B and await for me there. I will be along shortly." They hesitated. "That was an order."

Ian and Spencer took a step back, turning and moving from the room, Ian's eyes dropping to take in his comrades, faint concern reflected in his eyes before he followed Spencer out of the door, the wooden panel swinging closed with a resounding boom.

* * *

It has begun…


	2. Chapter 2

****

Chapter 2

_Krixel_: My top two fave characters are Bryan and Kevin, followed by Tala, Kai, Ray and Lee. And I glad you like Bryan's protectiveness. I was worried how it would be taken by the readers. And I think the Demolition Boys would be close considering what they've been through. I'm sick of people writing them as enemies.

_Chibi Chaos Sama_: Ian? Hn. I find him highly amusing. Like when he confronts the Blade Breakers and fires at them while they're fighting over if they should battle or not. I just love his line. "Too late."

_Jay Kamiya_: I'd say Boris would be strong. Just look at the size of him. And you've got to remember that he'd need to be able to fight the boys should they try to revolt, and the boys aren't weak as we well know...

Some character bashing in this chapter, so you are warned.

****

Disclaimer: See first page 

* * *

Boris turned toward them, noting that Bryan had already almost recovered, Tala not far behind. Reaching out, Boris took the steel rod from the wall, eyes on Bryan. In most cases Boris would remove the weak to be left with the strong, but not here. If he attacked Tala first, it would give Bryan the time he needed to regain his strength. That was something Boris had learnt years ago, the memory of the beating Bryan had given him still lingering.

Bryan had been but a mere child then. The merciless beating the now 18-year-old could dish out would be a great deal worse.

Bryan would be first.

Using the wall as support, Bryan was almost to his feet. Pushing himself away, he raised his eyes, staring into the lenses of those goggles. Boris approached slowly, rod tight in his grip as he assessed the situation, looking for a weak point, but noting that Bryan was already on the defensive.

Boris brought the rod around, Bryan stepping aside and out of its path, Boris twisting it in his grip and changing direction, forcing Bryan to bring up an arm in order to defend his head. Bryan hissed as it connected, gliding aside as Boris made for another strike.

Bryan worked his way out of the corner, knowing that that first blow had fractured his arm. His gaze hardened, smirking just to spite his mentor. Boris growled, aiming a blow for Bryan's head but missing as Bryan ducked under it, stepping forward and snapping a punch in, catching Boris squarely on the jaw.

Boris released one of his hands grip on the rod, quickly regaining his balance and using Bryan's closeness to his advantage, bringing a backhanded punch across Bryan's face. They retreated, Boris reassessing the situation.

He had injured the boy, but it had not been his strong arm. If he were to have any chance of winning this, he first had to disable the fearless Bryan. A thought came to him, but he did not allow it to show on his face. Yes. That will work.

He advanced, rod at the ready, Bryan taking a step back and around, keeping himself to the centre of the room. Boris kept coming, stepping forward and bringing the rod around toward Bryan's mid-section. Bryan stepped back, Boris following closely, aiming another strike, feigning it, and brining it in at another angle.

Bryan blocked the blow again, Boris frustrated as he realised Bryan had brought his already injured arm around. Yes, the boy might have a quick temper, but he was far from being stupid. Boris moved forward again, Bryan circling away, bringing Boris near one of the walls.

Perfect.

Boris reached back, grabbing the weapon and throwing it. Tala called out, Bryan's eyes widening as he realised too late his mistake. He hissed at the pain, reaching down to pull the dagger free from his thigh and bringing it up, now armed.

Boris could not help but smile, noting the faint limp Bryan was fighting to conceal. The boy would be slower now, and the dagger did not have the reach that the rod did. Boris lunged forward, Bryan twisting around and slashing with the blade, tearing a hole in Boris's coat.

Boris spun on his back foot, rod gliding through the air and catching Bryan's arm, dagger flying from his grip. Bryan moved to step backward, stumbling on his injured leg, and that was all that Boris needed.

Closing the distance the rod caught Bryan across the chest, a crack filling the air as ribs snapped. Bryan moved to retreat, but Boris snapped a leg out, catching Bryan on the wound on his thigh and dropping him involuntarily to one knee. Before Bryan could react, Boris threw everything he had into the final blow, feeling the contact vibrate through the steel as Bryan slumped to the ground. The fight was over.

Boris wiped the thin trickle of blood from his lip, turning to where Tala leant back against the wall, ice blue eyes burning. Smiling, Boris moved forward, eyes set upon his next victim.

Tala was also a fighter, but he would never compare to Bryan. Tala was more cool-headed, assessing the situation and striking quickly and accurately, often wearing an opponent down. Tala was a dancer where Bryan was a brawler, and Boris could handle the dancers.

Tala stepped away from the wall, eyes flickering momentarily to where his teammate lay sprawled and unmoving. Boris took that moment to strike, Tala's eyes swinging back around as he ducked and danced away.

Oh yes, the 17-year-old still knew how to dance. Boris's memory played over all the other times he had been faced with this. On the rare occasion Tala managed to strike back, but he did not have the strength that Bryan did, so those blows had not done any real physical damage.

Tracking Tala with his eyes, Boris took a step forward, Tala moving away and around just as Bryan had. Boris had taught them to never allow themselves to be backed into a corner, and it was one lesson they had all learnt well.

Boris watched Tala as he calculated, judging what Boris would do next and thinking of all possible escape routes. Boris knew this and did what Tala wouldn't be expecting – he took a step back.

Tala's ice blue eyes narrowed as he tried to figure out what Boris had planned. Spotting the faint confusion, Boris quickly closed the distance, forcing Tala to throw up his arms as the rod came down.

Boris pursued him, lashing out again and again. The best way to deal with a dancer was to not allow them to dance at all. With the brawlers it was all about caution and distance, choosing the right moment to strike before distancing yourself again before they could strike back. The dancers thought not to strike back, but to simply keep the distance, so you must not give them that distance.

Tala did not cry out as the rod connected, feeling bones crack in his arms, the pain slowly numbing his mind. He tried to circle around and out from under the assault, but Boris had him every time, slowly backing him toward the wall.

Reaching the wall, Boris backed off, standing and watching Tala. Tala frowned, it slowly dawning on him that Boris wanted him to fight back. Well, if it's a fight he wanted, then it was a fight he was going to get.

The wall was bare of any weapons, so Tala simply lunged forward, dodging Boris's strike and swinging a fist in. His eyes widened as Boris caught his arm.

"Speed isn't everything, Tala," Boris said. "I thought I had taught you better than that."

With a twist he flipped Tala onto his back, the teen quickly rolling to his feet, not wanting to be left vulnerable. Abruptly, the world went black as Boris brought down the rod one final time.

Stepping back, Boris crossed the room and set the rod back in its place, retrieving the dagger as he went. That done, he crossed to Tala, grabbing the boy by the back of his shirt and picking him up, before moving across to do the same with Bryan. Both boys were light, so he had no trouble with them as he dragged them from the room and out into the corridor, heading for the lowest and oldest levels of the Abbey…

* * *

Ian sighed, staring down into the dish. "We have to stop him."

Spencer looked up. "What do you mean?"

"Boris. We can't just let him do that to Tala and Bryan." Ian met Spencer's eye. "Bryan has always looked out for us, Spence. And when we were hurt or sick, Tala was always the one who nursed us back to health. We have to help them."

Spencer frowned. "There ain't nothing we can do, Ian. Boris is in charge. He can do whatever he wants."

"Well he shouldn't be allowed to torture us." Ian scowled. "Just you remember that if you'd lost to Kai, you'd still be in that room as well."

Spencer remained silent for a moment, before looking away. "The BBA will look into this place and shut it down. Boris won't be able to touch us again."

"But by then it might be too late." Ian shook his head, the 12-year-old brushing his hair from his face. "Boris was pretty pissed off. He didn't want us there cause he knew we might try and stop him." He watched Spencer. "He was going to do something bad, I just know it."

"He got weapons in that room," Spencer said softly.

They sat in silence, the minutes dragging out as they awaited Boris's arrival. From time to time they would glance at the clock, Spencer finally breaking the silence.

"Bryan must be putting up a fight."

"Bryan _always_ puts up a fight." Ian tucked his legs under him, staring once more down into the bowl. "There's a joke amongst the others that when Bryan was born, he came out fighting."

Spencer smiled faintly. "I heard that when he was little, he once kicked Boris in the nose."

"Think it's true?"

"Wouldn't surprise me." Spencer shrugged. "Heard it from a couple of the older guys. The ones that have been here since the place opened."

"Yeah, they might know." Ian looked up at him. "Can you remember what it was like? Outside of the Abbey I mean. Before you came here."

"A little." Spencer looked down into the dish. "I remember laughing a lot, playing with the other kids, running around. I remember having… fun."

"Same." Ian pulled out his beyblade, wiping a smudge off it. "Think Tala and Bryan remember?"

"Tala, Bryan, and Kai were born here." Spencer shifted in his spot. "There are rumours that they were created."

Ian looked up sharply. "I heard Kai might be, but not Tala and Bryan."

"I don't know for sure, they're just rumours." Spencer shrugged. "Just interesting that only three kids were ever born and raised here, and it was them three."

"Yeah. Interesting."

They looked up at the sound of the door opening, getting to their feet as Boris stepped inside. He paid them no mind as he crossed to the cupboard, opening it and pulling out a rag, wiping his hands. Ian and Spencer felt their breath catch in their throat as they realised that he was wiping away blood.

"Training pattern E-Delta," Boris said, moving toward them.

"Will Bryan and Tala be joining us later, sir?" Ian asked, setting his blade.

"They will not. Begin."

The two launched their blades, exchanging a knowing and concerned look before focusing everything into their training.

* * *

What had Boris done with Tala and Bryan I wonder? Any guesses?


	3. Chapter 3

****

Chapter 3

_Krixel_: I sat there for a while trying to figure out the fighting styles, then realised it was as simple as taking a look at their personalities. :p

_Gothic-Wolf_: This story is going to get worse. As for the fan art: I always welcome it. If you would like to try to draw anything from my stories, go ahead. I'm willing to give you a hand, just so long as I get a copy of it at the end. ^_~

_Shaman Wolf_: Don't kill Bryan? And I had it planned and everything... :p

_Jay Kamiya_: Kinda hard to believe, isn't it. ^_^

Time to find out what happened to Bryan and Tala, but first, what are Ian and Spencer thinking?

****

Disclaimer: See first page 

* * *

Darkness fell thick and even over the Abbey, snowflakes drifting gently to the ground. In the dining area, boys talked softly, the soft tinkle of utensils on china echoing in the air, the clinking of glasses and the shuffling of feet.

Off to the side of the main room was a smaller room where two boys sat, one small, one tall, neither speaking as they picked at their food, ignoring the others. They heard a shout, followed by another, then a crash that signalled the start of a fight. The sound of running feet, a man's voice calling out, security already coming to break it up before it could even begin.

Ian looked up toward his companion, voice low. "They should be here by now."

Spencer raised his eyes from his plate, before flicking them toward the door. "They weren't in the medical wing. I checked."

"What about the lab?"

"Alexander says no ones been to the lab except him."

Ian shuddered at the name, the boy Boris had been testing some of his newest experiments on. "You don't think he took them to the…"

Spencer simply looked at him, setting down his utensils. "If they're not in the medical wing, the lab, or their rooms, the only other place is the dungeon."

Ian lowered his eyes, remember the occasions he had been down there. The almost darkness that hurt the eyes, the thick chains that cut off the circulation, the smell of rot and dampness, the biting pain of the instruments that Boris used, the way screams seemed to echo forever…

"He was very upset," Spencer reminded him.

Ian swallowed hard, nodding. "It wasn't their fault."

"Boris don't see it that way. They lost their battle, and therefore they failed, destroying everything he had worked for."

Ian looked around, then leant forward. "To be honest, I'm glad we lost."

Spencer looked up sharply. "Why?"

"Well, for one, just imagine what a jerk Boris would have been then. Anyway, if Biovolt had of taken over the world, where would have that left us? We would have been nothing to them. We'd done our job, so out the door we go."

Spencer considered this. "You have a point, but I wouldn't let Boris hear you say that."

"Don't worry, I won't." Ian chased a vegetable around his plate. "I don't like the fact that they're down there."

"I doubt they will be there long." Spencer shrugged. "Boris will lock them in there and leave them, that's all. He might send some food in from time to time, but that's the only contact they will have. They will probably be back in a couple of days."

Ian sighed, remembering the fury that had rolled off the mentor. "I hope so."

~~~~*~~~~

He blinked open his eyes, at once taking in the semi darkness that had become almost a second home for him: the dungeon. He took in his position: shirtless and shoeless on the ground against a wall, arms chained above his head, legs chained to a rail in front of him. He glanced to the side, his companion within arms reach in an identical position, only still unconscious.

"Awake I see."

He looked up, frown tugging at the corners of his lips as Boris stepped from the shadows, coming forward to stand over him.

"Did I really hit you so hard it's taken seven hours for you to come around?"

He narrowed his eyes.

"What? Not speaking to me, Bryan? I'm hurt."

"Whadda ya want?"

Boris smirked. "Do you really believe that I've finished with you? Your past punishments are going to feel like simple walks in the park once I'm through."

Bryan glared at him, his former punishments flashing through his mind, sparking an old anger. "You can top rape?"

"No, unfortunately. But I can make every inch of your body blaze with more pain than you can possibly comprehend."

"I can comprehend a lot."

"Considering the inner strength you have shown in the past, I am willing to believe you. But this time, Bryan, I will make you scream in agony. For a long time now I have desired to hear that sound, and now I have everything I need to make it happen."

"Don't count on it."

"Still foolishly stubborn and determined. Fearless to the last." He looked across, smirking again. "Ah. It would appear the captain is awakening."

Sure enough, ice blue eyes fluttered open, darting around to take in his situation before settling on Boris like frozen daggers. Boris chuckled, running his eyes over the younger of the two, taking in the damage he had already caused.

"I was just informing dear Bryan of the plans I have in store for you both, Tala," Boris said, smiling. "He seems to think he can withstand anything I try, much like he has in the past. But I must ask, do _you_ think the same thing?"

Tala narrowed his eyes. "I can take anything."

Boris chuckled, nodding in acceptance to these challenges, then pausing, tilting his head to the side as he looked toward Tala slyly. "There are some things I have done to Bryan that I have not done to you. Whenever he would get out of line I would have him brought to my office… where I would _discipline_ him."

Bryan scowled. "One way of putting it, ya Paedophile."

Tala frowned. "What do you mean?"

Boris closed his eyes, smile playing across his lips. "Right there on the desk. He insisted on fighting me, of course, but I won every time."

It slowly began to dawn on Tala what Boris was talking about, his stomach turning sour as Tala glared at him. "You're sick."

"I've been saying that for years," Bryan agreed.

Boris chuckled. "You are mine. I do what I please with you." He looked over them. "I've found Bryan quite fulfilling over the years, though, unfortunately, he is not much to look at, is he? However, Tala, _you_ are. I have been wondering for some time now what you would be like."

Bryan glared at him. "Just can't settle for one, can you?"

Boris looked at him. "What's the matter, Bryan? Don't like the thought of sharing?"

"Go to hell."

A small alarm cut through the stillness, Boris glancing at his watch. "It would appear it is time for your fellow students to go to bed. I must go about my rounds. Make sure the boys do as they are told." He moved toward the cell doorway, pausing. "I will be back in the morning. Don't go anywhere."

The door swung closed with a grinding of hinges, Boris's footsteps echoing off the stone floor and walls, a cold breeze following him. The sound of a second door reached them, indicating that he had left the dungeon.

"Bastard," Bryan spat out.

Tala watched his teammate, mind buzzing. How long had it been going on? How long had Bryan been the sexual plaything of Boris? Could that be the reason why Bryan so often locked himself away after those meetings in the office, the hesitation when summoned, the reluctance to be left alone in there.

Bryan glanced at him. "I know what you're thinking."

Tala arched an eyebrow. "And what's that?"

"How long Boris has been, as he says, _disciplining_ me. If you must know, I was eight. So you could say it's been 10 years."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"What did you expect me to say? 'Hey Tal, I just have to go to Boris's office so he can screw me, that okay with you?'"

Tala smiled faintly. "Well, maybe not that. But at least something."

Bryan sighed, closing his eyes and resting his head back against the wall.

Tala watched him, noting the almost serene look on Bryan's face, despite their surroundings. "Comfortable?"

Bryan smiled faintly. "Not really. Just used to it."

"That's right, you've spent a lot of time down here, haven't you?"

"Mm."

Tala assessed the situation, quickly realising there was no escape. "What Boris was saying… do you think he means it?"

"If you mean about him wanting to screw you, he means it." Bryan opened his eyes, looking toward his comrade. "Don't look so worried. Just kick him in the gonads and he'll leave you alone." He paused. "Though he may make you kiss it better."

"Why not bite down?"

Bryan raised an eyebrow. "You know how a lot of my baby teeth fell out all at once?" Tala nodded. "They didn't fall out."

Tala winced. "Message understood."

A silence hung over them, Bryan finally looking up, eyes serious. "Let's get out of here."

Tala frowned, tugging on his chains. "We can't."

"I mean once he lets us out of the dungeon. We'll get out of the Abbey. Punch Boris on the way out and get out of the country."

Tala watched his face. "Why do you want to leave so suddenly?"

Bryan looked away. "I don't want him to do to you what he's done to me. You're too good for that."

Tala frowned, ready to question further, but chose not to when he spotted the expression on the others face. Settling down against the wall, Tala tried in vain to get comfortable. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

So Bryan has been raped by Boris. Not good. Not good at all. -_-;;


	4. Chapter 4

****

Chapter 4

_Shaman Wolf:_ Yours? What do you _mean_ Bryan is yours? *Snatches Bryan back*

Bryan: -_-;; Why me...

_Krixel_: So glad you are liking it. Angst and Dark are my main areas in my writing. I only recently picked up an award for 'best death fic'. I can only keep improving, and I can only keep hoping that you continue to like it. ^_^

_Jay Kamiya_: You don't like Bryan? You don't happen to be a Ray fan do you? :p

_LadyOrient_: Do you like dark? There are a few other great dark fics around. One of the better is by Ladya C. Maxine titled _Resurfacing_. The quick way to find it is by my profile and go into my favourite authors. Trust me, that's a dark fic if ever there was one.

Torture in this chapter.

****

Disclaimer: See first page 

* * *

"He's gone again."

Spencer glanced at Ian, then around the room where the students were running drills. Sure enough, there was no sign of Boris anywhere.

Ian looked at him. "Maybe… maybe he just went to the bathroom."

Spencer nodded, feeling his stomach twist. "Maybe."

Ian shivered, rubbing his hands over his arms, trying to get some of the warmth back into them. "This is bad, Spence. He's torturing them, I know it."

"Don't worry yourself." Spencer patted Ian on the back, shifting in his spot so he could take in another group. "Bryan and Tala are strong. They will take it."

"It's not that, it's…" Ian swallowed hard. "I think…"

Spencer looked at him. "Ian?"

"Boris does things… Not to me, but to…" He shivered again, hugging his legs to his chest. "He had him cornered in a disused training room, and he was… he was _touching_ him."

Spencer looked down at his comrade. "What you on about?"

"Boris." Ian looked up at him. "I think Boris molests Bryan."

Spencer stiffened, pieces to a puzzle he had been years trying to solve starting to fall into place. "What you saw… what was Bryan doing?"

"He was injured, like someone had been belting him up. He looked as if he was dazed, not really there."

"As if Boris had sedated him," Spencer said, eyes narrowing before he stood. "Come on."

Ian blinked, clambering to his feet and hurrying after him. "Where are we going?"

"To do some investigating," Spencer replied. "First, we need to know if Tala and Bryan _are_ in the dungeon, then, where the hell Boris has gone."

~~~~*~~~~

Tala bit back the cry of pain. No, he would _not_ give Boris that pleasure. He could feel the blood and sweat running down his chest, his arms. More ran down his face, mixing and concealing the tears that escaped his eyes.

"You're as stubborn as Bryan," Boris commented, then smiled. "You were raised to be strong. This is good, however frustrating."

Tala didn't reply. He couldn't trust his voice.

Boris stepped away, dropping the needle back onto the tray and turning toward them, eyes drifting from one to the other, receiving equally fierce glares from both. "If only looks could kill. Fortunately, they do no damage at all. I must commend you, my boys. I've spent the entire day working at you both, and I have not as yet received even a whimper for my efforts. It just means I must go up a level, but I had thought this one would be high enough."

He glanced at his watch. "Once again, I must leave you. But don't worry, I'll be back tomorrow."

He stepped out of the room, taking the tray with him, closing and locking the door with a boom that echoed through the semi darkness. The light faded as Boris moved away, taking his lantern, the last door closing.

Bryan's attention automatically focused on his comrade. "You okay, Tal?"

"Damn that last one hurt." Tala's eyes moved toward him. "I don't know how you do it, Bry. You make it look so easy."

"I've done this too many times." He met Tala's eye. "I channel my pain."

"Channel it? Into what?"

"My anger. My hatred of _him_." Bryan looked toward the door, frowning. "I thought maybe he would release us tomorrow, but he plans to continue. He's serious this time."

Tala drew a shaky breath, pain starting to fade. "Perhaps we can negotiate."

"Save your breath, he will not listen. Even if he did, he will agree to let you go only if you do him one favour."

Tala frowned. "A favour?"

Bryan nodded. "Just one."

Tala shuddered as he remembered all he had learnt the day before. "I could never do that."

"Then do not negotiate." Bryan looked into the darkness. "I never did him that favour either. I chose to withstand the pain. Eventually, he learnt other ways of getting what he wanted."

Tala stared toward the chains at his feet. "I hate him. I hate that bastard. I hate how he thinks he can do this to us. I hate _what_ he's doing to us. And most of all I hate what he's done to _you_."

Bryan raised an eyebrow. "You never cared before."

"I didn't know before." Tala sighed, watching Bryan's face. "And I've always cared about you."

Bryan looked at him, searching for sincerity. "You'd be the first. No one else does."

Tala's long eyelashes brushed his cheeks as he closed his eyes. "Perhaps if you paid more attention, you'd realise that many people care for you, and none more than the Demolition Boys."

Bryan watched him. "Ian and Spencer don't give a shit about me, you know that. They've even made a point of telling me on occasion, quite loudly and directly."

"To say something and to mean it are two completely different things."

"Such as?"

"I could tell Boris he's like a father to me, but what I actually want to say is I hope the arsehole burns in hell."

"Hell is too good for him." Bryan smiled faintly. "So you… care about me?"

Tala nodded. "I do."

"Is this some ploy to make me feel good about myself?"

"Bryan, you're a jerk. You know you're a jerk. I know you're a jerk. What's to feel good about?"

Bryan chuckled. "You're a real charmer, Wolf."

"Comes from being around you too long, Falcon." Tala shifted, straining against his chains and leaning toward Bryan. "Look Bry, despite what you think or what Boris says, we need you. If you weren't around, we'd be a mess. I can't handle Ian, you can. When someone threatens any of us, you're there to scare them off or belt the crap out of them. And when I fall apart, you're the pillar that I lean on. So don't think you're unwanted. Don't think we don't care about you, cause we do, understand?"

Bryan sighed, shaking his head. "You're too convincing for your own good. Yes, I understand."

"Good." Tala frowned, looking at his chains, then at his position. "I just closed the gap between us by half."

Bryan took at the distance between them. "You're right, you did."

"Pull against your chains, I want to see if we can touch."

Bryan shuffled, twisting and tugging at his bonds, closing the gap further, but not enough. "Not working, Tal."

"No, I think it still might. Our heads."

Bryan raised an eyebrow. "You're very bored, aren't you?"

"Extremely. Come on, let's try. For curiosities sake."

They twisted, laughing as they found they were able to press their foreheads together with room to spare.

"Well how about that," Bryan said, meeting Tala's eye. "You were right."

"Told you. See, maybe you should listen to your old captain every so often."

"You're not old."

Tala smiled faintly. "Sometimes I feel like it."

They sat there, heads touching, feeling each others breathe play across their cheeks. Tala closed his eyes, savouring the contact, Bryan following suit. For a long while neither spoke, Tala finally pulling back to stare into Bryan's eyes. Bryan met his eye, falling into the icy pools and being set adrift, Tala finding himself lost in the lavender orbs of his comrade, neither noticing that the distance was closing.

Lips touched gently, experimenting before the kiss deepened, the two losing themselves on a wave of passion. They longed to draw the other into their arms, but the chains held them back, keeping them from being truly together. 

They had only the kiss.

* * *

O_o;; Things are really heating up in the dungeon, that's for sure. 


	5. Chapter 5

****

Chapter 5

_LadyOrient_: There certainly is. I'm not into Kai/Tyson, but lately I've been reading it. Expand the horizons I say. ^_~

_Fran_: You'll be interested to know I've actually finished writing this fic. It is completed. It's simply a matter of regularly updating, that's all.

_Gothic-Wolf_: Of course I made them gay! How could I resist Bryan/Tala! What am I saying, I _can't_ resist Bryan and Tala!!! *Runs after them as they make a quick exit from the fic* Guys!!! Guys!!! Come back here you two gorgeous hunks of man flesh!!! _GUYS_!!!

_russle_: It will cool down quick though. We're talking ice and wind here. A rather cold breeze...

_Jay Kamiya_: Most Ray fans dislike Bryan, that's how I could tell. I'm a Kai, Ray, Lee, Tala, Bryan and Kevin fan. Many to choose from, and I like the 'bad boys' of varying degrees...

_Black Jaggan_: Sweet in a weird way? Interesting way of putting it. How is it 'weird'? Or should I say, 'sweet'?

This ones only a short one, so apologies in advance.

****

Disclaimer: See first page 

* * *

Ian picked at a bit of moss between the stones, the hallways quiet, the other students having already returned to their rooms as the curfew had approached and gone. So far Ian had avoided the guards, sneaking into hiding places as they approached, and making his way down to the corridor that led from the dungeon, but also conveniently led to Boris's office up a staircase at the far end.

Hearing footsteps, Ian looked up, eyes narrowing as he realised which direction they were coming from: the dungeon. Spotting Boris's form outlined against the stone, Ian pushed himself off against the wall, waiting.

Seeing him, Boris scowled. "What are you doing out of bed?"

"Waiting for you, sir." Ian bowed his head. "I wanted to speak with you."

Boris stopped, looking down at the boy. "Well go ahead."

"It's about our training schedule, sir." Ian straightened beneath his gaze. "We did not have one today, so we had nothing to do. I was thinking that if you are busy tomorrow, what drills you wish for us to run. Or will you be attending?"

Boris studied him, searching for deception but finding none. Turning, he rattled off the drills, before moving toward the office, robe rippling behind him as he reached and vanished up the staircase.

Ian narrowed his eyes, turning and moving back through the corridors toward his room, avoiding the guards as he went. The last thing he needed was to get locked up for the night. Ducking down another corridor, he took off at a fast trot, bounding up the stairs two at a time as he reached the hallway that held the rooms of the Demolition Boys.

There, he paused, glancing up at the camera, waiting for it to swing away before he moved along the corridor, passing his own room and knocking on another door, it opening almost instantly and Ian sliding in the crack.

"Thought you'd been captured," Spencer said as Ian crossed to and dropped into the chair by the desk. "What did he say?"

"He gave us a schedule," Ian answered. "He plans on spending another day in the dungeon."

"No, this is wrong. He's _never_ done this before." Spencer sat on the edge of the bed, running a hand through his loose blond hair. "The other guys are already talking. Some of them are even making up plans of busting them out."

Ian's eyes widened as he straightened, gripping his goggles tighter where he had them sitting in his lap. "That's it! We'll break them out!"

"Are you crazy?" Spencer looked at his friend. "It's impossible to get someone out of the dungeon. Boris has an alarm set up down there that are linked straight to that device on his wrist. And he's been down there every day since he locked them up, anyway. You can't get near the place."

Ian leant forward, eyes on the 19-year-old. "I heard a couple of the guards talking on my way back up here. They were talking about the BBA investigation into Biovolt, and how they _may_ need Boris to come in for questioning."

"And if he goes, he will be out of the Abbey, and out of range for the sensors to set off his device should someone trigger the alarm." Spencer smirked. "It just might work."

Ian nodded. "Let's just hope they _do_ take him for questioning."

* * *

The plotting has begun…


	6. Chapter 6

****

Chapter 6

_russle_: Boris kicked in the groin... hm.... *thoughtful*

_Devlinn Reiko-sama_: I'll have to look into your fics then. Bryan and Kevin be my faves, and I love reading anything I can on them. ^_^

_Black Jaggan_: Sweet? Aw man, if they heard you say that... but yeah, it is. *^_^*

_Jay Kamiya_: Torture Bryan? Yeah, know the feeling. He just seems to ask for it, doesn't he. ^_^;;

_Gothic-Wolf_: Catch them? Never know...

_Matty KakaSaku rulz_: #^_^# Thank you so much!!!

And back to the torture.

****

Disclaimer: See first page 

* * *

"It fascinates me, how much the human body can withstand." Boris studied the glowing red iron, the heat having starting to ebb away. "I had thought that this would surely be the thing to break you, to make you scream in utter agony, begging me for mercy."

"Mercy is for the weak," Bryan hissed. "You taught us that, remember?"

"Indeed I did." Boris turned back toward them, noting that Tala was slumped, barely conscious, against his chains. Bryan, on the other hand, was still fully alert. "And the strong show no pain. And you have proven yourself quite strong."

He set the rod down, moving to kneel by Tala, crooking a finger under the boy's chin and tilting his head back. "You've impressed me, Tala. For someone who has never been forced to endure such things, you are holding up rather well. I can see that you're in agony, but you have not uttered a sound. You look half dead."

Tala glared at him through slitted eyes, but did not speak.

"Stubborn til the end." Boris moved away, crossing to Bryan and crouching, studying the boy. "We've been here before, haven't we?"

"Many times," Bryan answered, glaring at him. "And don't bother asking me if I submit, cause you already know the answer."

"Indeed I do." Boris narrowed his eyes. "The boys think you're invincible. That you can withstand anything and walk away. I shall prove otherwise." He smiled faintly. "Bryan, Tala, and Kai. The invincible three. All defeated in battle. How… amusing."

"You'll get over it."

Boris reached out to touch Bryan's cheek, but the teen pulled his head away, glare hardening. "Must you always insist on fighting me? It would be easier for us both if you did not."

"I will fight you to the end, Boris. I will never stop fighting you. That is a vow I shall never break."

Boris's hand snapped out, encircling Bryan's throat and tightening as the man leant forward. "Make any vow you want, Bryan, but you remember who you belong too. You are the property of Biovolt, property of this Abbey, property of _me_. You are under my orders and control, and I can do with you whatever I please. And that includes killing you."

Tala's eyes widened as he watched, noting the whiteness on Bryan's neck around where Boris's fingers squeezed, indicating the pressure the man was applying. Bryan didn't flinch, glaring into Boris's eyes, a faint smirk on his lips, almost taunting the man to continue.

With a growl, Boris threw Bryan back, the teen's head slamming against the wall from the force of it. Without a word Boris stood, spinning on his heal and leaving the cell, slamming the door behind him.

Bryan sighed, resting his head back against the wall and closing his eyes, forcing his heart and breathing rates to slow. Tala watched him with concern.

"Bryan?" No answer. "Bryan, are you okay?"

"I actually thought the son-of-a-bitch was gonna do it." Bryan opened his eyes, looking to the side. "I'm fine, Tal. You?"

Tala swallowed hard, lowering his eyes. "I don't know how much more of this I can take."

"Keep telling yourself that you will not let him win."

"I'm doing that, it's just…" He sighed, hanging his head. "I feel so weak, so tired. I just want to die."

Bryan smirked. "If you die without making a sound, that would _really_ piss him off."

Tala chuckled, looking toward him. "It would, wouldn't it?"

Bryan nodded.

Tala drew a steady breath, watching him. "He concentrates it all on you, and yet you look unscathed."

Bryan sighed. "Looks can be deceiving, Wolf. I feel like shit." He closed his eyes. "Right about now I feel like passing out."

"You don't look it when Boris is here."

"Never show any sign of weakness to an enemy." Bryan opened his eyes and looked at him. "We've had that drilled into us since we were babies."

Tala nodded, sighing. "Sometimes… it's just so hard not too."

"Agreed."

Tala looked at him, tracing his outline in the almost darkness of the cell, taking in the injuries, registering them and deciding that they were far worse than his own. "Its _you_ he wants to break, isn't it?"

"Mm. He's been trying to break me for years." He smirked. "And he never will."

Tala sighed. "What do you think he has planned this afternoon."

Bryan frowned. "He hasn't done the electricity thing yet."

Tala blinked. "The… what?"

Bryan looked toward him. "He throws water over you, then plays a live wire over your chest. Hurts like hell, but does no real damage."

Tala swallowed hard. "What _hasn't_ he done to you?"

Bryan smiled faintly. "Respected me for who I am."

A silence hung in the air, Tala shuddering as a cool breeze played over his bare damp skin, causing it to prickle. His entire body ached, some from the wounds, others from where he had remained in one place for too long. "Will he feed us?"

"Food comes with a price."

"What doesn't?"

"Pain."

Ice blue eyes drifted once more to his teammate. "About… last night…"

Bryan's eyebrows rose. "What about it?"

"I've… Well, I've been thinking about it and…" Tala watched him. "Were you taking advantage of me?"

Bryan's head shot around. "Hell no. I've been taken advantage of so many times I would never do it to someone else. Especially not you. Besides, it was your idea to try and get close."

"True." Tala averted his eyes. "I… just don't know what happened, that's all."

"We kissed, Tala. There's no denying that."

"No, there's not."

Bryan studied him. "You got a problem with it?"

"No, it's just…" he frowned. "Sudden."

"I'll agree with that."

Tala remained silent, looking toward the chains around his ankles. "I liked it you know."

Bryan's eyes, which had been closed, cracked open. "Liked what?"

"The kiss."

Bryan smiled faintly, closing his eyes again. "Me too."

The silence returned, thick and strong, save for the occasional drip of water somewhere outside the cell. Tala's eyelids drooped, exhaustion playing through him. He sighed, resting his head back against the wall, sleep playing at the corner of mind. Bryan was the same, settling back as best he could. As they drifted off to sleep, neither cared whether or not they would ever wake again.

* * *

They're wearing down, but neither has broken. And it is starting to drive Boris mad… 


	7. Chapter 7

****

Chapter 7

_russle_: I get a real buzz out of when people pick out lines or moments they like. Thank you!!! And Tala torture? You'll like next chapter... #^_^#

_Gothic-Wolf:_ That's one of my fave lines too. My sister liked it as well. And more kissing? We'll see.

_Ashla_: Welcome to my fics, and you'll be pleased to know I usually update twice a week. Means no long waits. ^_~

_Jay Kamiya_: Pranks, hm? What sort? Buckets of iced water over doorways? Electric shocker in the palm of hand when shaking it? :p

_Black Jaggan_: O_O Don't cry! Whatever you do don't cry!!! I would never forgive myself... well, maybe I would, but... actually, forget I said anything. I like trying to keep characters in their personae's, but sometimes it can be hard.

Now what have Spencer and Ian been up to during this time?

****

Disclaimer: See first page 

* * *

Ian looked up from his meal, eyes following Boris as he moved along the aisles between the tables of the main room. "He looks pissed."

"Something's upset him." Spencer agreed, stabbing his fork into a bit of meat. "And I think I know what. Or should I say, _who_."

Ian nodded. "Bryan's the only one who can get him riled up like that." He grinned. "Means his still alive."

Spencer swallowed his mouthful. "I overheard a messenger tell Boris that he has to go to Moscow tonight. They're going to question him, and he may be detained for a week."

Ian grinned. "A week?"

"Enough to get them out of there."

"Get who out of where?" They looked up to see one of the older students, Panas, peering around the corner. He glanced behind him, taking in that Boris had left the room, before slipping in with the other two boys. "You're talking about Bryan and Tala, aren't you?"

Ian scowled, but Spencer set down his glass. "What do you know about it?"

"Probably about as much as you." Panas shrugged, nodding back out into the main room. "We've all been discussing it. We want to help."

Ian narrowed his eyes. "Who's 'we'?"

"Those of us who've been around a lot longer than you have, kid." Panas looked at him, dark eyes narrowed. "We know how this place works. I've been teamed up with both Bryan and Tala in the past, and I respect them. I'd do anything to make sure they're okay."

Spencer watched him. "Like what?"

"You guys will have to get them out, but once you do, a group of us have a hideout you can use. We've had it for years and security has never found it. Tell me when you're gonna bust them out and I'll lead you there personally. Once you're there, we'll help gather any supplies you need."

Ian narrowed his eyes further. "What's in it for you?"

"We get to piss Boris off. Nothing will please us more then to take his current toys away and drive that sicko up the wall in fury."

Spencer nodded. "Deal."

Ian's eyes widened. "Spencer!"

"I trust him," Spencer told him, then leant toward Panas. "Where's this hideout?"

"North-west region of the grounds. Some sorta old shaft, from the Abbey's former glory days. Probably some hob nobs escape route should the place be invaded. Two entrances: one in the boiler room behind the junk pile and spare parts, the other out into the grounds."

"So the place is underground?" Spencer asked.

"Affirmative." Panas glanced over his shoulder, making sure no one had missed him. "Ventilation's hidden in the stump of an old tree. We've got a fairly good set up down there, and we know if anyone comes a callin'. Thus far, no one has.

"Came across the place a few years back during our free time. We subtly checked the old records and blueprints for the place, and it ain't listed anywhere. I'm guessing the former owner didn't want anyone to know about it."

"Convenient." Spencer glanced toward the door, then met Panas's eye. "You know anything bout this meeting Boris has to go to in the city?"

"One of the boys overheard him sayin' he has to leave at 8."

Ian grinned. "I say we bust them out then."

"Negative. Too risky."

Ian went to rebuke him when Spencer raised a hand, cutting him off. "Panas is right, Ian. Firstly, any time after 8 is after curfew, and should the cameras or guards pick up any movement, they will be onto us. Secondly, we must allow Boris time to leave and arrive at his destination just in case he must return."

Ian slumped in his seat. "You have a point. Tomorrow then. Breakfast. Most of the guards will be right here, and the guys on the security monitors don't change shift til 10, so they'll be tired and less alert."

"There's still one problem," Spencer spoke up. "The dungeons in the south-western wing of the Abbey. To get from there to the boiler room involves taking the open passage that runs along the side of the dining hall. We can use the pillars as cover, but the guards will see us."

Panas held up a hand, smirking as he slowly stood, Boris having reappeared at the edge of the dining area. "I'll run it by the boys. We'll come up with something. Considered yourselves covered."

* * *

They have a plan, but will it work?


	8. Chapter 8

****

Chapter 8

_Fran_: You don't trust Panas!? Well, I guess he _did_ pop up at a very convenient moment, didn't he...

_russle_: Tala torture? You bet. And yeah, I think Bryan would be the one to piss Boris off big time. ^_^;;

_Matty KakaSaku rulz_: Yeah. Sorry about the shortness...

_Gothic-Wolf_: Kill Boris? I wish.

_Jay Kamiya_: You _hope_ it's a good plan. ^_~

_Ashla_: That's because the American dubbers edit it out of the show. In the manga it is in all sweet detail... the characters injured, blood, pain, bashings, nudity... okay, so we saw Tyson starkers. Bad image. Bad, bad image. _

_LadyOrient_: There is always hope. It is only when hope dies do things become dour.

_Black Jaggan_: This chapter is all Tala/Bryan. Enjoy! ^_^

Boris continues to up the level of torture with each session, so what does he have in store for our protagonists this time around?

****

Disclaimer: See first page 

* * *

"Let's play a little game," Boris said, slowly pacing the cell. "I'll ask something, and you'll answer. If I like the answer, you'll go unharmed. However, if I _don't_ like the answer, you'll find the consequence rather shocking."

"Cut the lame jokes, Boris, and get on with it already."

"Very well, Bryan." Boris turned toward them, deciding which to do first. Bryan had been through this before, so Boris already knew he could withstand it, but Tala… "Now Tala, lets begin with you. At the Russian Tournament, what was your mission?"

Tala watched him, ice eyes cold. "To win, sir."

"And did you succeed?"

"No sir. We were defeated."

"And why were you defeated?"

"Because we underestimated them."

"Very good, Tala. You're doing well so far." He moved a step closer. "What should you have done?"

"Destroyed them."

"And what was it that stopped you?"

Tala swallowed. "I was distracted, sir."

Boris looked down. This was new… "And what was it that 'distracted' you?"

"The cyber mind, sir." Tala knew Boris wouldn't like this. "It's constant analysis proved both irritating and restricting. It did not factor in the blader's creativity, and limited my own choices to the ones it developed to counter the possibilities of movement of the opponent. It is my belief I would have stood a greater chance without it."

Inwardly, Bryan winced.

Boris stood there impassive before letting the wire fall, hitting the button and sending a jolt through Tala's body. Tala spasmed, but did not utter a sound, Boris shutting off the switch and turning away. "Your beliefs are not important to me, Tala. The cyber mind was created to enhance your performance, and if you found it limiting, then you were not using it to its fullest potential."

Boris moved around to hover over Bryan, letting the ends of the wire drop to dangle over his chest, a silent threat. "You also knew your mission, Bryan?"

"Yes sir."

"And those orders included the necessity to be cruel and unjust in your battle, correct?"

"The aim was to make an example of Kon. The orders came from Voltaire himself."

"Ah good. Remember that little meeting, do we?" Boris nodded. "You started the battle off well, injuring Kon and making it look as if it were nothing more than an accident. You took the first round, knocking Kon out… but then you failed."

"I was not expecting Kon to return, sir. And the fact that he did so twice…"

"Yes…"

"It… rattled me, sir. He should have given up. He was injured, he was weak, he had everything to lose and almost did. I threw everything into that battle, and he threw me out of the ring."

"You should have killed him."

Bryan looked up. "My orders were to be cruel and unjust, not to assassinate a rival. And I refuse to battle with the intention to kill in the Beystadium. If Kon had died as a result of our battle, fine by me. But to kill him myself would turn me into a monster like you, and I will _never_ allow myself to become that."

It was Tala's turn to inwardly wince.

Boris's finger stabbed down on the button without hesitation, keeping it there for several long moments before releasing his victim from the fingers of the blue-white energy. "How long will it take for you to see that you are limiting yourselves with these ideals and beliefs. If you are to be great, you must let go. Everyone else but myself are below you. They are to be crushed beneath your shoe like cockroaches, worthless existences ground into the dirt."

Without warning, his finger stabbed down on the button again, having upped the power setting to its highest level. He let it linger on Bryan for a moment, then dragged it across to Tala, before taking it back. Just as suddenly as he had begun the assault, he released them, rolling up the wire and turning to look at them.

Tala had been jerked into unconsciousness, chin resting on his chest as hair dangled down over his face, eyes closed as he breathed raggedly. Bryan's breaths were as equally ragged, but he was still alert, though Boris could see from the glaze over the teen's eyes that he was almost done.

"You can withstand anything, can't you Bryan?" Boris smiled, setting the wire down and moving toward him. "You are an unstoppable force, and all these years I have tried to weaken your spirit have instead made you stronger, haven't they?"

He crouched beside the boy, reaching forward to raise his chin, Bryan making an attempt to pull away but Boris had a firm grip and Bryan not the strength to do so. "You're like an untameable beast. I whip you, and you continue to kick. I lock you up, and you fight to free yourself. I muzzle you, and you keep on biting. And no matter how many times I ride you, you still try to buck me off."

Bryan glared at him through half closed eyes, trying to pull away again as Boris smoothed down his hair before letting fingertips trail down his face. "You will lose, Bryan. I can assure you of that. No matter how hard you try, no matter how hard you fight, you _will_ be defeated. You're not the only one who will not surrender."

He leant down, pressing his lips to the boys. Bryan went to jerk back, but Boris held him strong, letting the kiss linger before he sat back. "If there is one thing, Bryan, you have a good body. Such a pity to have to mutilate it like this. However, if you let me… _enjoy_ it in another way, I will release both yourself _and_ your captain. Is it a deal?"

Bryan glared at him. "No."

"Pity." Boris trailed his fingers down Bryan's neck and chest, smearing the blood, sweat, and water. He ran a hand along Bryan's thigh, pausing as he came to the stab wound, closing his fingers around it and squeezing, the only reaction he received being a tightening to the corners of Bryan's eyes. He growled in frustration, pushing himself to his feet. "Perhaps some other time. Until next time."

Picking up his tools, Boris stepped from the room, closing the door behind him. Bryan listened for the echoing boom of the second door before he slumped against his chains, swearing, before finally allowing the darkness to take him.

* * *

Oh not good. Tala and Bryan are almost dead from the onslaught. And it can only get worse…


	9. Chapter 9

****

Chapter 9

_Reiven_: O_O One of the best? Surely there must be better.

_russle_: I was wondering if anyone would notice that reference. Good eye. ^_~

_Ashla_: In the manga Kai never went to the Abbey, but instead Kai's father and grandfather had a falling out that led to Kai's grandfather taking custody and making Kai hate blading though he has a point to prove. Kai's grandfather has no connection to Biovolt, and Boris is named Voltaire. As for the Tyson thing... well, it was in the hot spring (as seen in the series) with Kenny and Max and a few other people around (including Jazzman) and let's say Tyson stood up. Front view. _ And I must say, for all those wondering, Tyson really doesn't have much to offer in 'that' department. At least not at 13... ^_~

_Matty KakaSaku rulz_: Heh heh. Yep, he's evil all right. :p

_Gothic-Wolf_: You compare it too a thriller book!? O_O And _why_ can't I kill them *chuckles as eyes sparkle evilly*

_Jay Kamiya_: Rape them? We'll see.

_phoenix the 1st_: Slowly and painfully, just the way I like it. Not that I'll do it... ^_^

_LadyOrient_: So nicely put. And so tempting...

Boris has almost killed Bryan and Tala, but what of Ian and Spencer's plan? Will they get there in time? *hands around popcorn and coke* Let's find out.

****

Disclaimer: See first page 

* * *

Ian stood on his tiptoes, peering out the high window and watching as the car vanished into the fog, red pinpoints that were the tail lights becoming lost as the distance grew, until they could be seen no more.

Ian turned, moving along the corridor and opening the door to his room, looking up and spotting the other. "Well he's gone."

"It's after 8," Spencer said, glancing at the clock by Ian's bed. "He left late."

"He must have lost track of the time while he was…" Ian shuddered, dropping and stretching out on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. "Are you nervous?"

"About what?"

"Tomorrow."

Spencer shook his head, placing the book he had been flipping through back on the shelf. "Plan should work, so no need to be nervous. All we have to do is get the key from Boris's desk, then get into the dungeon, free them, meet Panas, and get to the hideout." He frowned. "I just hope they're not messed up too bad."

Ian swallowed hard as the possibilities of his comrade's fates drifted through his mind. "Yeah, me too."

Spencer glanced at the clock again, shifting in his spot. "About 10 minutes?"

"Yeah. That should do it." Ian twisted so that he was lying on his stomach, head in hands, watching his teammate. "Spence?"

"Yeah?"

"How long have you known Panas?"

Spencer frowned. "Panas was here before I got here. He's one of the original boys, brought here when he was two. He's a very good blader, and lasted this long cause he can improvise well in midst of battle. He's the captain of the reserve team, and Boris often has him school the new kids when no one else can."

"So he's a teachers pet?"

"He does what he can to survive."

"Fair enough." Ian plucked at his blankets. "Think he really knows Tala and Bryan that well?"

"Not sure about Tala, but he knows Bryan pretty good. I've seen them talking. They trade information or something."

They sat for a moment, letting the silence wash over them, save for the soft ticking of the clock, counting down the time. Ian sighed, flipping onto his back and staring at the ceiling again. "What do we do if they can't walk?"

"We carry them."

"_You_ carry them. I can't. What time is it?"

"It's only been five."

"Dammit." Ian pounded a fist down onto the bed. "Why can't it hurry up? I want to get this over with."

"Stop thinking about the time. It will only make it go slower."

"What do you want me to think about then?"

"How about why you first came to the Abbey? Tell me, I want to know."

Ian bit his lip, straining his mind. "It'd be about seven years ago now, wouldn't it? I was five then, and I was just getting into blading. I remember that my parents were always busy, so they often left me with my grandfather, and he was the one who bought me my first blade. My parents got upset and took it away from me, but I begged them to give it back. They said I would get hurt cause I didn't know how to use it properly, but one day I talked them into letting me go to the park, just to watch.

"Some kid saw me watching and lent me his spare blade, my parents not really paying attention. I battled the kid and beat him, my parents spotting me when they heard the cheering and rushing over, grabbing the beyblade and throwing it away. Thing is, Boris saw me and came up to them, telling them about the Abbey and it's purpose, and telling them I was gifted. They agreed to let me come here, and dropped me off roughly a week after that. I haven't seen or heard from them since."

Spencer nodded, staring at the tiles. "I'm about the same, only I just had my Mum. My Dad died when I was really little, and my Mum didn't have much money, so we moved a lot. I came across beyblading when we were walking down the street and a saw a bunch of kids battling. I said I wanted a go, so they let me. I was defeated, but it took them a while to beat me.

"I kept movin', but it turns out one of those kids ended up here and told Boris about me. He tracked me down, offering to take me in and look after me, cause my Mum couldn't find work and we had hardly any food. She agreed, thinking it would be better for me if she allowed it, so here I am. I don't know what ever happened to her, but she never came back. I was seven when I came, so that would be roughly 12 years."

Ian looked at him. "Out of everyone, who do you thinks been here the longest?"

"The guys that were here when the place first opened I guess, like Panas. The only other I can think of is Bryan. He's been here 18 years, which is almost as long as this place has been around."

"What do you think happened to _his_ parents?"

"I once heard him say that they were dead."

"Ouch." Ian sighed. "I'd rather lie awake wondering where my parents are and what they are doing, then to lie awake wondering how they died and where they are buried."

"I know where they're buried."

Ian's head shot around. "You do?"

Spencer nodded. "You know that graveyard at the back of the grounds?" Ian nodded. "They're both there. The headstones are dated the same year Bryan was born."

"Creepy." 

Spencer nodded his agreement, glancing at the clock. "It's been 10 minutes. Let's go get those keys."

Ian pushed himself up off the bed, grinning. "And about time."

The two boys cracked open the door, peering out into the corridor and taking in the position of the camera. They waited, watching it swing around before they hurried into the hall, closing the door behind them, and moving at a quick pace out into the main corridors.

Checking for any sign on guards, they slipped further toward their destination, quickly closing the distance and pausing at the bottom of the stairs. Spencer glanced at his watch, nodding at Ian before they quickly scaled the staircase.

Reaching the doorway at the top, they found the door unlocked, swinging it open and glancing inside. The interior was dark, lit only by the faint moonlight that drifted in through the window. They entered cautiously, not speaking as they set foot in their tormentor's domain.

Spencer gestured toward the desk, Ian nodding as they crossed toward it, footsteps almost silent on the floor. Ian soundlessly slid open the top drawer, rummaging through and shaking his head, closing it and moving down to the next as Spencer picked his way over the items littered across the top.

Finding nothing, Spencer began searching the shelves, Ian moving to the filing cabinet and tugging at the drawers. After several more minutes, they had still come no closer to finding the keys.

Spencer shook his head and shrugged, Ian frowning hard in frustration, dark eyes flitting around the room, coming to rest on a statue. Spencer followed his gaze, taking in the odd sculpture and crossing to it, studying it before pushing at a small catch that was faintly revealed in the moonlight. A panel swung open, Spencer reaching in and picking up the object, turning to Ian and holding them up for him to see.

Ian grinned and nodded, Spencer pocketing the keys as they moved back toward the door, eyes darting around to make sure everything was as it had been when they had first arrived. No need to arouse suspicions early.

Closing the door behind them, they made their way down the staircase, pausing at the sound of soft footsteps and holding their breaths as the trio of guards moved along the corridor below. Once they were sure they were gone, the two boys made haste in completing their journey, pausing to check the direction of the cameras from time to time, not stopping until they were once more safely in Ian's room.

With a soft click of the lock, the first and easiest part of their mission was successfully completed.

* * *

The wheels are in motion. ^_^


	10. Chapter 10

****

Chapter 10

_BitterCherries_: The story of Tala's life is this: born and raised in the Abbey. The rest you'll find out next fic once I get around to writing it.

_phoenix the 1st_: Some people whine that the Demo Boys are written as nice too often. -_-

_Jay Kamiya_: You'll just have to wait and see. ^_~

_Rai Akuma_: Inspirational, huh? Explain further. I am intrigued

_Matty KakaSaku rulz_: You'll like this one better

_russle_: Spencer = 19, Bryan = 18, Tala = 17, and Ian = 12. And just for good measure, Panas = 21

_Reiven_: Sorry, I'm modest. I don't believe you. :p

_Black Jaggan_: Perfect bods, yeah. We've seen _Tala_ shirtless, just wish we could see... never mind. #^_^#

_Ashla_: His Dad came back and had a fight with his Grandfather, then Kai had a fight with his Dad. That's it.

And now, the moment you've been waiting for.

****

Disclaimer: See first page 

* * *

The sound of the first door opening jerked him from his sleep, causing him to raise his eyes toward the door, listening to the almost soundless approaching footsteps. He glanced to the side, taking in the condition of his comrade and realising instantly that he was in bad shape. He frowned, knowing that Boris would take advantage of that… no, it _wasn't_ Boris coming. Then who…

"Tala? Bryan? You down here?"

Bryan raised an eyebrow, shaking his head as he sighed. "We're in one of the little side rooms with a closed door, Ian, you moron."

There was a shuffling, moments later the door swung open. Two figures appeared, backlit by a torch, one tall, one short. Ian stepped further into the room, eyes wide. "Jesus, what did he do to you?"

"Later." Bryan's lavender eyes narrowed as Ian went about unlocking the chains on his arms. "There are easier ways of getting yourselves under Boris's wrath."

"Boris is gone," Ian explained, finding the right key and releasing Bryan's arms, setting about freeing his legs. "The authorities are questioning him over the Biovolt thing. He'll be gone a week."

"So you decided to 'rescue' us," Bryan snorted, stretching his limbs, trying to work out the dull ache as Ian moved on to Tala. "Don't think this will make me like you."

Ian shrugged.

Spencer offered Bryan a hand up, Bryan accepting it and coming unsteadily to his feet, leaning heavily against the wall. Spencer watched him. "You look like shit."

"Then I must look better than I feel." Bryan looked down, frowning. "I doubt you'll get Tal to come around. He's not used to it like I am. That last session took what was left out of him."

Spencer handed Bryan a cloak, crossing to kneel beside Tala, wrapping their captain up in another cloak before scooping him up into his arms, lifting him easily.

Bryan watched him. "So you just expect us to walk out of here?"

"It's taken care of," Ian told him. "We've got a hideout just off the boiler room."

Bryan looked at him for a moment. "I'm not sure I can make it that far."

"You've gotta try," Ian said, moving toward the doorway and glancing out. "Come on."

Bryan limped toward the doorway, pulling the cloak around him, legs feeling like pins and needles as the wound where Boris had stabbed him burned. He blinked back the fuzziness at the corners of his vision as he followed Ian, Spencer bringing up the rear.

Ian led the way through the dungeon and up the staircase, Bryan using the wall for support as he followed, Spencer frowning as he watched him. To Spencer, like the rest of the boys at the Abbey, Bryan had always been the indestructible one. Spencer had seen Bryan endure and walk away from things that would have brought a normal being to his knees, so to see him this close to collapse was unnerving.

At the top of the staircase, Panas turned, looking down at them. He nodded his greeting to Bryan, before turning and leading them along the corridor. They moved slowly and silently, watching for guards and avoiding the cameras. Reaching the open corridor by the dining area, they paused, Bryan shooting a questioning glance at Panas as the elder boy slid forward, gesturing to another of the boys seated at the closest table.

For a moment nothing happened, then one of the boys roared, throwing himself to his feet and accusing the boy across from him of cheating during a training battle. The other boy stood, throwing back accusations, then the punches started flying. They crashed into a couple of other boys who were all to happy to join the melee, and before too long the entire dining hall was consumed of battle cries, bodies throwing themselves at each other, fists and feet flying.

The guards rushed from their posts into the centre of the brawl, dragging boys from the pile and throwing them aside, trying to break it up. In the background, Panas led the group along the wall, using the pillars as cover. Bryan smirked, nodding his approval at the plan, shooting a look to the side and taking in the battle. A couple of the boys looked his way, eyes lighting up at the sight of him and grinning, before spinning around and throwing in another punch for good measure.

The group made it clear of the dining hall, moving at a steady pace toward the boiler room. Bryan drew an even breath, ears buzzing as the darkness began to creep into the edge of his vision. He fought it, but it continued to grow steadily worse, sweat running down his face as he stumbled slightly, pausing to lean against the wall, drawing a deep breath, collecting himself.

The others paused, frowning as they watched him. When he thought he was ready, Bryan pushed himself off the wall, eyes focused ahead as he swept passed them, cloak dancing around his bare ankles. Ian and Spencer exchanged a look, Panas shaking his head, his opinion of Bryan raising another level.

Reaching the boiler room, Bryan limped inside, glancing around and noting that it was empty. He paused, glancing back at Panas as the other entered, moving toward the junk pile at the side. The Demolition Boys watched as Panas pulled aside a couple of pieces of junk to reveal an almost invincible trap door, easily opening it and gesturing for them to follow.

Bryan gestured for Spencer to go first, the older boy nodding, shifting Tala in his grip before stooping to move through the doorway. Bryan followed, glancing at Ian before stepping into the darkness, the youngest member of the group closing the door behind him as Panas lit a lantern, leading them though the shroud of darkness.

Bryan stumbled on a loose rock, slamming sideways into the wall and swearing, squeezing his eyes closed as the pain shot through his body, the darkness growing ever closer. He felt a light touch on his arm and he opened his eyes to find Ian looking up at him in concern. Bryan narrowed his eyes, pushing himself off the wall and regaining his balance, moving forward once again, Ian following, watching his every move.

Panas hit the switch as they entered the room, a whirr indicating that the generator had kick started, light filling the area. As Panas had told them, the room had a fairly good set up. A table and chairs sat off to one side and looked to have seen better days, a portable cooking stove set up beneath what must be the ventilation shaft. Along the back wall was a bed covered in sheets that were the kind used in the Abbey, indicating they had been brought down.

Panas pointed to a doorway off to the side. "Bathroom. Has a toilet, shower, and basin, but that's it. All original, though we patched them up a bit. Water comes from a spring. We figure this place was the original owners escape for when they got invaded, and set up so they could stay down here for some time. All resources, water and electricity, are separate to the main building, so they cannot be traced."

Bryan dropped into a chair, rubbing a hand over his eyes as he took in his surroundings. "How long can we stay here?"

Panas looked at him. "We've got enough food down here for a couple of days, but it's not fresh. Some of the boys can bring food down for you, so you can stay here indefinitely. We've got a first aide kit around here too, in the bathroom I think. Fully equipped."

"So it's got needles and thread?"

"It does."

Bryan pushed himself up, moving toward the bathroom, opening the door and glancing back. "It's in here." He closed the door before they could question any further. Opening the kit, he located the needle and thread and turned the flipped the toilet lid closed so he could have a place to sit. Pulling down his pants far enough to find the wound, he cleaned up the area and set himself as he picked up the needle.

This was going to hurt…

* * *

So the other boys organised an all in brawl to distract the guards so they could escape, and they got down to the hideout, though Bryan almost didn't make it. Looks like some serious patting on the back is in order. One thing though: what the hell is Bryan going to do with that needle??? -_-;;


	11. Chapter 11

****

Chapter 11

_BitterCherries_: There will be more Bryan/Tala moments later on, trust me.

_russle_: You can say so much with so little. Yes, the brawl is good, and Panas is my favourite OC I've made for Beyblade (I have three main ones), and that needle...

_Black Jaggan_: "Bryan fixing Tala up"? You can work so much into that. But then, I think that was your idea, am I right? :p

_Jay Kamiya_: Hope Boris doesn't find out? So do I...

_Matty KakaSaku rulz_: He's going to do something that will hurt one hell of a lot. -_-

_phoenix the 1st_: I love the Demo Boys and the White Tigers. But yeah, you're right about Ian. Kev's the same. ^_~

_LadyOrient_: Hey! You guessed it! *^_^*

_Castles in the Sky:_ Like the new name. It's catchy. And yep, that's what Bryan is doing all right.

_Ashla_: I've had no stiches, but I've had 42 staples up my side after my back op. Cut all the way through. _

_eyriess_: #^_^# Um.... #^_^#

So they escaped. But it is far from over. And now, lets see if we can find out what Bryan was up too.

****

Disclaimer: See first page 

* * *

"I think I know what he's going to do," Panas said as he watched Spencer set Tala down on the bed. "That wound on his leg…"

Ian winced. "Do you think he would actually…"

Spencer nodded. "Bryan will do what he must do."

Ian shuddered. "Jeez it's cold down here."

Panas closed one of the doors leading into the shaft, then the other before stepping to a boxlike unit near the generator and hitting a few buttons, a warm breeze filtering from it. "We only fixed this about four months ago. We had to wait for them to throw out the right bits."

Spencer crossed to the cabinet near the stove and began looking through it, picking out a can as Panas retrieved a pot and set it on the stove, Spencer finding a can opener and opening the can, dumping the contents into the pot as Ian crept toward the team captain, inspecting his wounds.

"Boris worked them over good," Ian commented, frowning as he spotted one of the marks. "Hey Spence, does this look like a burn to you?"

Spencer joined Ian, taking in the mark the younger was pointing too. "Yeah, it does. I saw a couple on Bryan too."

Panas looked over his shoulder, dark hair falling into his eyes. "Hot rod, most likely. Bryan told me a few years ago that Boris poked him with a hot rod because Bryan answered him back."

"Bryan's always answering Boris back," Ian said, smoothing back Tala's hair, frown deepening as his fingers came away sticky with blood. "They're a real mess. Boris must have been really pissed with them."

Spencer looked at him. "They lost their battles, they lost the tournament." Spencer frowned as he remembered his shock as Bryan had been thrown back from the dish, Falborg exploding as Bryan slammed facedown and unconscious onto the ground. The look of pure amazement on Tala's face as he realised that his own battle was over, that he had been defeated, Wolborg beaten by the Dragoon.

Panas stirred the contents of the pot. "There's a rumour that it was Boris's fault they were beaten."

"I only won cause the dish was water and Seaborg is a water beast, while Kai's Dranzer is fire." Spencer shrugged. "Not sure about Bryan, but it Boris's fault Tala lost. Boris did something to Tala that messed up his mind."

Ian frowned. "But it must have been Boris's fault that Bryan lost. Bryan _never_ loses. He's one of the best bladers in the Abbey."

"He _is_ the best blader in the Abbey," Panas corrected. "Or at least as far as I am concerned. I can see no reason as to why Bryan would have lost."

"I underestimated my opponent." They looked up to see Bryan leaning against the door to bathroom, watching them. The corners of his eyes tightened. "Never do that."

Ian nodded, looking over him. "Want me to get you some fresh clothes?"

"Do that." Bryan nodded toward the teen on the bed. "Get some for Wolf too."

Ian nodded and scrambled to his feet, disappearing through the doorway that led back to the Abbey. Bryan limped toward the table and dropped into a seat, looking toward Panas.

"Nice job with the brawl."

Panas grinned. "We've been itching for a fight for ages. You gave us a good reason."

"Wish I could have stayed and watched. I like a good slug match."

"Especially when you're in the middle of it," Spencer said with a knowing grin.

Bryan met his eye. "Even better when I _start_ it."

"But nothing can go passed being the one to _end_ it, I'll bet." Panas dumped the contents of a pot onto a plate, setting it in front of Bryan. "To get your strength up."

Bryan raised an eyebrow. "You're expecting me to eat with my fingers?"

Panas threw a fork at him.

Bryan looked around as Spencer retrieved the first aide kit and moved toward Tala, before setting his eyes on Panas. "Remember anything about putting bones back into place?"

Panas nodded. "One of the first things I learnt."

Bryan held out an arm, Panas noting the swelling. "Care to do the honours?"

Panas hesitated, then stepped forward, taking the arm. He felt along the bones, finding the broken one, locking eyes with Bryan, who was watching his face. With an expert twist, Panas snapped the bones back into place, stomach twisting though Bryan didn't flinch despite the fact it would have hurt immensely. Spencer looked up, marvelling at the stamina of his teammate before returning his attention to his captain.

Panas left soon after that, needing to report back to his trainers so not to be missed. Bryan ate is silence, watching Spencer work out of the corner of his eye, Ian returning with a couple of bags of clothing and the beyblades of his teammates.

After finishing his meal, Bryan went for a shower, grateful to wash away the blood and sweat from his body. Donning fresh clothing, he finished patching up his wounds, exhaustion playing through him.

"Get some sleep," Spencer said when Bryan emerged from the bathroom. "You look like you're going to fall over again."

Bryan wanted to argue, but the constant fuzziness of his vision was enough to make him head for the bed, flopping out beside Tala and instantly falling into a restless slumber. Ian exchanged a look with Spencer, who frowned and shook his head.

"He's only human," Spencer reminded his young comrade. "He's been through a lot."

Ian hesitated, glancing at his watch. "We've got to get back, before we're missed."

Spencer nodded his agreement, standing. "Let's go then. They should be right."

* * *

Nap time. And in case you're wondering, Panas, Ian, Spencer, and anyone else who comes to visit can only remain for a short amount of time else the guards will notice and come looking, as well as giving them away as having had something to do with the escape.


	12. Chapter 12

****

Chapter 12

_phoenix the 1st_: Kai's not in this one, no. But you might like the start of this chapter.

_BitterCherries_: You've hit the nail on the head. ^_~

_russle_: Yes Spencer won because Biovolt cheated. They even said it in the series. Damned cheats. And no, Bryan wouldn't start fights. :p

_Black Jaggan_: Depends what you mean by 'fix him up'. 

_Castles in the Sky_: You're just going to have to wait and see what happens when Boris finds out. ^_~

_Ashla_: Not a sound, no. Strong boys.

_Matty KakaSaku rulz_: Why is Panas evil? 

_eyriess_: When will they leave? Well...

_Bloody Mary_: Welcome Bloody Mary. Yes, no raped Tala, only a raped Bryan, and he went down fighting. I'm sick of raped helpess Uke Tala too.

_Jay Kamiya_: Who? Me? *innocent*

_aki-naoe*kudoku_: I'll have to come take a look.

Some nice quiet time. Muchly needed quiet time at that.

****

Disclaimer: See first page 

* * *

Ice blue eyes fluttered open, at once taking in the warm air that flowed over his chest. He was lying down, on something soft no less, which was an occurrence that had not happened since Boris had first called them to the meeting.

Taking in his surroundings, Tala pushed himself up, gazing around, blinking. He was in an unfamiliar room, the texture of the walls, ceiling and floor telling him he was not in the Abbey itself, but instead underground in a place connected to the Abbey.

Bryan was stretched out beside him, breathes even, indicating sleep. Tala reached out, running his hand through Bryan's hair, the untameable lavender strands soft as if recently washed. Bryan's pants and shirt were both crisp and clean, causing Tala to blink. Boris would not have done this, so who?

Pushing himself up, Tala faltered, waiting for the dizziness to settle. Spotting an object nearby, he reached out, fingers closing around Wolborg. Looking up, he spotted some fresh clothing, eyes narrowing before he smiled faintly. Ian and Spencer, it had to be.

Sliding from the bed, Tala explored his new home, finding some stew still in the pot on the stove and setting it to warm ever so slowly. Taking up the fresh clothes, Tala headed for the bathroom he had found and showered, freshening up.

Feeling a lot better now he was clean, Tala emerged back into the main room, straightening his shirt and crossing to the stove. Satisfied that it was cooked, he found a clean plate and heaped it onto it, eagerly digging in.

"You're going to make yourself sick."

Tala looked around, noting that Bryan's lavender eyes were open, watching him with faint amusement. "I don't care. I'm hungry."

Bryan smiled, rolling onto his back and stretching. "How long you been up?"

"I showered, but that's it." Tala gestured around him. "Where _are_ we?"

"Some sort off bunker in a passage that leads from the boiler room of the Abbey, that's all I know." Bryan pushed himself up into a sitting position, scratching at his neck. "Panas brought us here."

"Panas?" Tala frowned, looking toward him. "I thought it was Ian and Spencer."

"They broke us out, Panas led the way." Bryan filled him in on the escape, answering everything he could though it became obvious to Tala that Bryan had not been completely himself at the time, as many details seemed hazy to the elder teen.

Tala chuckled. "I wish I could have seen the fight."

Bryan smirked. "I can get another one going for you anytime you want."

"I don't doubt that you could." Tala finished his meal, sighing. "It's good to be able to move about again."

"Boris is gone a week, so we have that long before we are discovered to be missing."

Tala frowned. "If he was going to leave us a week, with no intention of us being watched or fed, do you think he wanted us to…"

Bryan's hard gaze settled on him. "There is really no question as to his intention. Our failure removed our invincibility and Kai's. We're useless to him now."

Tala stared down at the table. "Why not just have us removed from the Abbey?"

"And allow us to be free? Come on, Captain, do you think he would have allowed that?"

"No, you're right." Tala sighed, shaking his head. "If we were anyone else he might have, but not us. Not us two."

Bryan watched him, crossing his arms over his chest and closed eyes as he rested his head against the headboard of the bed and sighed heavily. "There are times I wish _I_ had been the one to sneak out to steal Black Dranzer."

"You would have been destroyed, as would I." Tala looked at him. "Kai had Voltaire, and Voltaire was the one overseeing the project. We have no one."

"Not true." Bryan raised an eyebrow. "We have each other. You've always stood by me, as did Kai when he was here. You're my family."

Tala smiled, slipping from the chair and moving toward the bed. He slid onto Bryan's lap, straddling him. Bryan opened his eyes as Tala trailed his fingers over a cheek, leaning forward to press his lips against his.

Bryan slid one arm around Tala's waist, resting the other hand on a leg as Tala settled a hand on Bryan's shoulder for support, the kiss deepening, actions speaking louder than words with each gentle caress.

Bryan lifted his hand from Tala's thigh to run it through his hair, Tala nibbling on Bryan's lower lip playfully before kissing him forcibly, Bryan fighting back. Tears collected in the corners of Tala's eyes only to escape and trail down his face. Bryan felt them, pulling back to trace their path with his fingers.

"Tal?"

Tala smiled faintly. "It's nothing, Bry, just… I've been wanting to do that for so long. I thought I'd lost my chance… it feels like a dream."

Bryan cupped Tala's face in his hand, the younger boy nuzzling it. "It's not a dream, Wolf, though I wish it were. That way we would be far away from here."

Tala looked at him, reaching up to press his hand against Bryan's. "I know what you mean, Falcon, but I'm glad it's not. It means that I won't wake up and realise that it's not real."

Bryan raised an eyebrow. "You get emotional too easy."

Tala chuckled. "I make up for what you lack."

"I can get emotional."

"Anger and frustration doesn't count."

"What about disappointment?"

Tala leant forward. "What about love?"

Bryan frowned, eyes distant as he sighed, shaking his head. "I've never felt love."

Tala kissed him gently, shifting and wrapping his arms around Bryan, curling up against his chest, tired once more. "We'll have to do something about that."

* * *

Both awake and their first official make out session. How sweet. *Ducks a swipe from Bryan* Oh come off it, Falcon, you enjoyed it.

Bryan: *Smirks*


	13. Chapter 13

****

Chapter 13

_phoenix the 1st_: If they were real life I would be dating one. Well, at least trying to seduce them, anyway. ^_~

_russle_: Bryan only fights when he has too... otherwords, when he has to vent some frustration. :p

_Bloody Mary_: They were trained to be fighters. I never could understand why anyone could write them as being defenceless when it's obvious that they aren't.

_eyriess_: O_O Leave your poor defenceless computer alone you bully. :p

_Jay Kamiya_: It most certainly would. ^_~

_Matty KakaSaku rulz_: *Grabs fan and starts waving over Matty's face*

_umi naoe kudoku hart_: I know nothing about it. What is it?

_Ashla_: Careful they don't kill you. :p

_Castles in the Sky_: I forgive anyone with computer issues, don't worry. ^_^

Sorry about no update. FF.N was down last night. Ooo. Nice long one this one.

****

Disclaimer: See first page 

* * *

Ian and Spencer had spent the afternoon receiving slaps on the backs from the other boys once word had spread that Tala and Bryan were free from the dungeon and both still alive. They thanked everyone for their help, the boys all taking part of their meal and stashing it aside, and in no time there was a bag filled with bread, fruit, cakes, and other such things for the two fugitives.

Panas took great pleasure in handing it to Spencer. "Watch your back on the way down. The rest of us are on early curfew tonight due to the brawl, so we cannot accompany you down. Give my our greetings to them though."

When they had been dismissed for the night, the two Demolition Boys had taken the bag and disappeared into the corridors, making their way easily into the boiler room. Moving down the passage, they stepped into the room, Ian letting out a yip of happiness and diving across the room, throwing his arms around Tala's neck.

Tala set his cards face down, patting Ian on the back and laughing. "You'd think you were glad to see me."

"I am, captain." Ian stepped back, grinning from ear to ear. "When I first saw you, I thought you were dead."

"Not the case." Tala raised an eyebrow. "I hope you've been training, because-"

Ian groaned. "Oh come on. I've been too busy saving your skin, Tala."

Bryan sniggered, setting down his own cards, crossing his arms over his chest.

Spencer stepped forward, clapping a hand on Tala's shoulder. "Good to see you up, Tal."

"You too, Spence." Tala gestured for them to take a seat. "Bryan told me everything he knew but it was only the bare essentials, so fill us in."

Spencer and Ian exchanged a look, Spencer setting the food on the table before they sat down, telling of everyone's worry, of the quest to find the key, of the planning, of Boris's suspicious behaviour. As they spoke, Bryan prodded at the bag and peered inside, plucking out a cake and biting into it, Tala shooting him a glare before snatching the bag away and finding one for himself, Ian biting back a laugh as Spencer smiled.

The story came to a halt as they finally cracked and burst out laughing when Tala kicked Bryan under the table, Bryan kicking him back and causing Tala to give a sharp bite of pain, the younger scooping up an apple and hurling it at Bryan's head. Bryan caught it easily, smirking as he bit into it, Tala growling.

"You can't tell you two were raised together," Ian laughed.

Tala's glare broke into a smile. "We've never been apart."

Bryan shook his head, swallowing. "When you had Kai on the team, I was still here, you were at the stadium."

"A couple of days, that's it."

Spencer leant forward, seriousness returning to his expression. "When Boris returns, he's going to go down to the dungeon and find you gone."

"We know." Bryan rested his elbows on the table, knitting his fingers together and resting his chin on them. "He will expect to find us dead, and when he sees us gone, he will search the Abbey from top to bottom."

Tala nodded his agreement. "The first people he will question will be you two."

Ian shuddered, sinking down in his seat. "I never thought about that. All I wanted was to get you two out of there."

"And we thank you for that." Tala looked at Bryan, who was frowning down at a spot on the table. "We'll have to work something out. At the moment though, I still don't feel too good. I feel half drained."

"You haven't eaten for days," Spencer said, gesturing to the food. "Eat more, and you'll regain your strength. The others will bring food down when we cannot. In fact, we had better be going soon."

"The others have early curfew," Ian explained. "Because of the fight. We'd better get back to our rooms early too."

Spencer pushed himself to his feet, gesturing for Ian to do the same before he looked down at the two younger teens. "You get some rest. Tomorrow we'll discuss the problem with Boris's return, but until then you regain your strength."

Tala raised his eyebrows, biting back an amused smile. "Yes mummy."

Spencer smirked, patted him on the shoulder as he passed him, Tala and Bryan scooping up their cards again and snagging another bit of food as the other two boys left the room and made their way back to the hell that was Balkov Abbey.

~~~~*~~~~

"Spencer's right you know."

Bryan looked up at Tala. "About what?"

Tala looked down at where Bryan lay with his head in Tala's lap, Tala playing absently with the elder teen's hair. "About Boris when he comes back."

"We've still got days, Tal." Bryan closed his eyes and sighed. "Just you try and recover. Boris took a lot out of you, and I can see you're still tired."

Tala nodded, shoulders drooping. "I actually thought I was going to die. The pain was so overwhelming…"

"That was the point of the exercise."

"How can you take it so well?"

"You get used to it, I guess. Or at least build up some resistance." Bryan frowned. "The first few times, after he let me go, I'd lock myself in my room and cry. Eventually that stopped… and I stopped caring."

"You should have never been subjected to that."

"Who's to stop him? My parents?" Bryan scowled. "Headstones don't talk, Tala. They can't criticise, they can't protest, they can't' sympathise, and they can't offer comfort. I learnt that years ago."

"Your parents would be turning in their grave if they knew what he was doing to you." Tala smoothed Bryan's hair, biting back a smile as it sprung back into its natural disarray. "I wonder why he never did what he did to you to me. I've been around almost as long as you have, and he said he wanted me in 'that way', and yet he never tried it."

"He saw no need." Bryan shrugged. "He did it to punish me, and I gave him plenty of reasons to do so. You were always a goody-two-shoes. You did as he said, when he said, the way he said. He had no reason to find fault until now."

Tala frowned, Bryan's words sinking in. "I was a square, wasn't I? I strove to achieve perfection, but I conformed to his rules and limits."

"Exactly. I conform to no one and make my own rules. It didn't matter if I were the best, only that I selectively chose when to listen to him, or should I say, when to _ignore_ him."

"He hates that."

"I know."

Tala sighed. "We're almost like complete opposites you know."

Bryan opened his eyes. "You and _Kai_ are complete opposites. I'm the balanced one. I'm hot and cold, I'm rebellious and submissive, and I'm proud and modest, all at the same time. I'm a little bit of you both."

Tala shook his head. "No. Kai and I make up the two halves that are you. You were too complex, so they balanced it out."

"Look at it any way you like, Wolf. To be honest, I no longer care. I just want out."

Tala blinked. "Out."

Bryan looked up at him, a knowing glint in his eye. "You're getting an idea."

"You said you want out."

"Yeah, so?"

"When Boris comes back, he'll come looking for us and Ian and Spencer. But how can he find us if we're not here?"

Bryan narrowed his eyes. "You're saying we ditch the Abbey?"

"That's _exactly_ what I'm saying." Tala gestured toward the second doorway of the passage. "Panas says that that passage leads out into the grounds near the fence. All we have to do is get over the fence, get to Moscow, and get to the BBA office. Biovolt can't touch us there."

"The fence has been tried before. They didn't make it."

"That's because they ran from the back door all the way to the fence, _and_ they were caught on the parameter cameras. If Panas is correct, the passage comes out outside of the sensor and camera range, _and_ right near the fence, which will give us an advantage."

"There is still the matter of the fence itself. I'm injured, Tal, and Ian will also be disadvantaged."

"Spencer will be able to help both you and Ian. And me probably, depending on whether or not I have the strength." Tala frowned thoughtfully. "The matter lies, Bryan. When Boris comes back, we do not want to be anywhere near the Abbey. None of us. The Demolition Boys are at great risk."

For a moment Bryan didn't speak. "You're right. Our only option is to leave. We'll run the idea by Ian and Spencer tomorrow, get their input. With luck, tomorrow Panas will come as well. He can offer any further insight into the layout of the passage."

Tala nodded. For a long while they were silent, Tala's ice eyes narrowing as they glided down Bryan's body to take in the place he had seen the dagger sear through and become wedged in flesh. "Did you really stitch the wound closed, or was Ian just bullshitting?"

"He was guessin', but yeah, I stitched it closed. Seems to have slowed the bleeding, too."

Tala's frown deepened. "How could you do it to yourself?"

"I gritted my teeth really hard."

Tala had to chuckle. "Did you do a good job?"

"Not hospital standard, but it'll make do." Bryan raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to see it or something?"

Tala blinked. "Eh… maybe some other time."

Bryan shot him a genuine grin, eyes sparkling. A rarity. "Is that hope I hear in your voice? Along with a slight hint of discomfort? And perhaps a little longing?"

Tala glared at him. "Shut up, Kuznetsov."

Bryan chuckled, pushing himself up from Tala's lap and turning, facing the other. "I'm just having a go, Ivanov. No need to get so defensive."

"You can be a real jerk sometimes."

"So you've told me."

Tala stretched out on the bed, sighing as he stared at the roof. "What do you think it's like? Being free I mean?"

Bryan frowned, tugging at the bandage on his broken arm, smoothing out where it had started to gather. "I have no idea. It would be strange."

"Yeah." Tala's frown deepened. "Bry?"

"Hm?"

Tala looked at him. "Why are you always trying to protect us?"

Bryan's eyebrows rose as he paused, thinking. "I have no idea. I just feel… that I have too."

"But you _don't_ have too."

"Yes I do. Don't ask me to explain it, because I cannot." Bryan looked down at him. "Maybe its just part of my talent for getting under Boris's skin."

Tala's lips cracked a smile. "Maybe." He reached out, tugging at Bryan's shirt and urging him to come closer. "Or you're just naturally over-protective. Like a big brother."

Bryan slid toward him, Tala wrapping an arm around his waist. "You'd rather me as a brother?"

Tala shook his head. "You've been a brother and a friend for as long as I can remember. I want more. I've wanted more for a while."

"You don't ask for much." Bryan leant down, kissing him gently.

Bryan made to pull back but Tala slid his arms around his neck, recapturing his lips. Bryan smiled against his mouth, retuning the kiss with equal intensity, savouring it. It didn't seem like long before they could hold on no more, releasing each other gasping, gazing into each other's eyes.

Bryan swallowed, trying to regain his breath. "For a while, eh?"

"Mmm-hm." Tala ran a hand through Bryan's hair, pushing himself up, kissing him again. "For a while."

"How longs a while?"

"A year. Maybe more."

Bryan nodded, allowing yet another kiss before he pushed himself up into a sitting position. "And yet you accused _me_ of taking advantage of you."

Tala blinked. "I never accused you, I simply asked if you would."

"Sounded like an accusation to me."

Tala opened his mouth to reply, only to have realisation flicker through his mind, causing him to narrow his eyes. "Bryan Kuznetsov, are you playing hard to get?"

Bryan smirked. "Would I do that?"

Tala laughed, sitting up and throwing himself at the other, pushing him back down onto the bed and trapping Bryan underneath him. "You really _are_ a jerk."

Bryan raised an eyebrow, mischief playing through his features. "I'm entitled to my fun."

"You? Have fun?" Tala kissed him. "The cold-hearted, cruel and calculating Falcon of the Demolition Boys have fun?"

"You make it sound like a crime."

Tala stared down at him, smiling. "Much of what you do _are_ crimes."

Tala kissed him again, Bryan pulling back, meeting his gaze as he smirked. "How do I know you're not trying to take advantage of _me_?"

Tala winked at him "You don't."

Lips locked again in yet another battle, Tala being careful not to place too much pressure on Bryan's leg as he set his own leg between Bryan's, effectively pinning the other down so he wouldn't move again. Nevertheless, Bryan broke the kiss, breathing heavily.

"We really need to sleep you know, Tal."

Tala nodded, reaching up and hitting the switch above the bed, killing the lights. Even as the room plunged into complete darkness, Tala kissed Bryan again, then pulled back, trailing his lips down the others neck, Bryan closing his eyes, focusing on the gentle caresses.

After a while, Bryan growled softly in the back of his throat, a smile tugging at his lips. "As much as I want this to continue, we do need to heal."

Tala chuckled, running his tongue over Bryan's ear. "I know."

He didn't stop, causing Bryan to chuckle. "Tala Yuri Ivanov, it's late, and I know what you're like first thing in the morning if you don't get your beauty sleep."

Tala blinked into the darkness, then scowled. "You're being the brother again."

"Brother, no. Mature, yes."

"Yeah right." Tala kissed him gently on the mouth, shifting and wrapping his arms around Bryan, settling his head on Bryan's shoulder and stifling a yawn. "You're still a jerk."

"Thank you." Bryan threaded his arms around him.

Tala tapped his fingers against Bryan's chest. "Is there any reason why you want to sleep rather than make out? Or are you just a party pooper?"

Bryan reached up and entwined his fingers through Tala's. "I didn't want you to get the wrong message if I fell asleep, which I'm about to do."

Tala laughed, snuggling further against Bryan. "Fair enough. I forgive you."

"Nice to know." Bryan pressed his face into Tala's hair, closing his eyes. "We'll sort everything out in the morning, then shoo everyone away."

"Works for me." Tala closed his own eyes, sighing heavily. "I love you, Bryan."

Bryan didn't answer, instead lying awake until he heard Tala's breathes even out as sleep took hold of the younger teen. Only then did Bryan allow the exhaustion to claim him.

* * *

Bryan never said 'I love you' back. Interesting…


	14. Chapter 14

****

Chapter 14

_aki-n-ayee_: Yep. As always (for them)

_eyriess_: Look, leave the computer alone, else I'll call the computer abuse authorities. :p

_Black Jaggan_: Heh heh. Indeed, let it all begin!

_Ashla_: What are you talking about. Tala _is_ cute! *cringes as he glares at her* Oh come on. Even _you _know it, Tal. *He smirks and shrugs before reattaching himself to Bryan's neck* Oh for the love of.... GET A ROOM!!!

_Jay Kamiya_: I have achieved my goal. I made someone laugh. :p

_Matty KakaSaku rulz_: A goody-two-shoes is someone who never does wrong by the person in charge. They often try really hard to make the person in charge like them. Otherwords, Tala sucks up to Boris to make Boris think he is a loyal, trustworthy and dependable member of the team.

_LadyOrient_: Neither can I. ^_~

_russle_: The food fight is one of my favourite moments in this fic, though I have a few. Glad you liked it. ^_^

_Bloody Mary_: Thanks for the info. In that case, Tala's name in my fics will be Tala Yuri Maximeievich Ivanov, though at the current moment Tala does not know who his parents are. Also, I do not have names for Bryan's parents yet. Any suggestions?

_KuronekoHikage_: Glad you like it. And glad you could join us.

Big make out session for two of the boys last night. Now lets see what's going on in the morning…

****

Disclaimer: See first page 

* * *

"Think they'll be any better today?"

Spencer looked down at Ian as the three moved along the passage, Panas leading the way with the torch. "Should be."

Panas looked back. "So do you guys have any idea as to what's going to happen once Boris comes back?"

Ian shook his head. "Not a clue. We're going to work something out today, though."

Panas nodded, opening the door and frowning at the darkness, reaching out and hitting the switch, stopping dead, eyebrows at attention as the others joined him.

Tala shifted as the light sliced through the dark shroud, ice eyes blinking open to look toward them. Bryan didn't move, sound asleep where he lay on his side, fingers of one hand still entwined through one of Tala's where the younger teen lay curled up against his back, arms encircling Bryan.

Ian placed his hands on his hips. "Well you look comfy."

Tala glared at him, lifting his head from Bryan's and taking in the other two, eyes falling back onto Ian. "We sat up late talking."

"I'll bet."

"I'm perfectly capable of squashing you, Ian."

Ian's eyes flashed, Spencer clamping a hand over his mouth before he could reply, Panas biting back a smile as he made his way to the table and dropped a bag onto it. "Brought you some breakfast."

Tala nodded, sliding his arms from around Bryan and nudging him. "Hey Bry, you wanted to talk to Panas? Well he's here."

Bryan didn't stir.

Spencer frowned. "That's not normal."

"I know." Tala nudged Bryan again. "Bryan? Bryan, they've got breakfast."

Ian dropped into a chair, watching with concern. "I thought he woke easy."

"He usually does." Tala's eyes reflected worry as he checked the pulse, eyebrows lifting marginally. "He's still alive, anyway. I guess he really _was_ tired."

Panas tried not to laugh. "Pulled the 'not tonight, I'm too tired' routine did he?"

Tala smiled. "It was more a 'go to sleep before I knock you out' routine, but there's not really that much difference." The concern returned as Tala sat up. "Boris focused most of his attention on Bryan when he was…" Tala swallowed, trying to force away the dryness to his mouth and throat. "I don't know what happened when I was unconscious, but no doubt Boris kept up the procedures."

"Bryan's one tough nut to crack," Panas agreed.

Ian scowled toward the bed. "Well he broke."

Tala glared at the youngest of the group as he joined them at the table. "He didn't break. He's just sleeping it off, that's all."

"Yeah, whatever."

Tala growled. "You're on the right road for a broken jaw this morning, Ian, so keep it up."

Ian glared at him. "Why are you protecting him?"

Tala leant closer, returning the glare with equal strength. "Why are _you_ attacking him?"

Spencer held up a hand, gesturing for them to settle. "Cool it, guys. Fighting will get us nowhere. I know you're tired Tala, and that you're grumpy cause we almost got caught yesterday Ian, but don't take it out on each other."

"Agreed," Panas nodded his head. "Fighting amongst yourselves will do more damage than good." He turned to Tala. "So why did Bryan want to see me?"

"We've got a plan to get out of here." He listed off their idea for using the passage to get them to the fence, then going over it. After he had finished, he turned to Panas. "So what we want to know is exactly what to expect at the other end."

Panas nodded, thinking. "Not long after discovering the passage we did some yard clean-up so we could scout the area on the other side. It comes out near the graveyard, so you can use the headstones as cover. On the other side of the fence is where the woods are so almost straight away you can get out of sight. It's simply a matter of getting _over_ the fence."

"I can take care of that," Spencer said.

"We're pretty nimble, you must remember," Tala reminded Panas. "I'm sure Boris put you through all the training too."

Panas nodded. "Pretty much straight away. But you and Bryan always _did_ have the advantage, Tala. I remember seeing Kai pull some sweet moves too."

Tala smiled faintly, but said nothing.

Ian brushed his hair from his eyes, eyes gliding toward the bed and back. "So when are you planning to do this."

Tala sighed. "When we were up to. Give us a couple of days to heal and regain our strength. At the least, we must be out of here the day before Boris is due to come back. That'll give us a head start."

Ian and Spencer nodded their agreement, Panas crossing his arms over his chest, watching as Tala picked at the lasts of his breakfast. Panas narrowed his dark eyes. "Wish I could go with you. However, if I went, Boris would realise you were not working alone and go after the rest of the boys."

Tala nodded. "Agreed." He frowned. "When we get to the BBA office, we'll contact the authorities and tell them what goes on here. Try and get the place shut down."

Ian straightened, eyes brightening. "And that way _Boris_ will be the one in the cell. Everyone else will be free."

Spencer chuckled. "Maybe Boris and Voltaire will be cellmates."

"They can bore each other to death."

Tala and Panas chuckled, Tala wiping his fingers on a cloth then crossing to the bathroom to wash the grease from the pastry off his hands. When he emerged from the bathroom a couple of minutes later, he found Ian and Spencer working out with Panas a good time to make a break for it.

Tala smiled faintly, moving toward Bryan and sitting on the edge of the bed, prodding him in the chest. Bryan still didn't stir, causing Tala to frown faintly. Bryan had always been a defensive sleeper. The lightest of touches and noises enough to wake him and give him time to prepare for fight or flight. So for him to not wake was cause for worry.

Tala reached up to brush the hair from Bryan's face, frowning further as he returned his hand to Bryan's forehead, leaving it there for a moment. "Ian, is there a clean cloth over there?"

Ian looked around. "Yeah."

"Could you dampen it for me." He paused, eyes narrowing. "Bryan's got a fever."

"What!?"

Ian hurried to wet the cloth, Panas and Spencer joining Tala, Panas touching the back of his hand to Bryan's forehead, glancing back at Spencer. "Tala's right, he does."

"Bryan never gets sick," Spencer said as Ian returned, handing the cloth to Tala.

"He seemed okay yesterday," Ian agreed. "A little unsteady, but that's it."

"He was fine last night," Tala said as he rolled Bryan onto his back, folding the cloth and setting it gently on Bryan's forehead. "He was fatigued, but so was I. Bryan was picking on me in the way he does when he's in a good mood."

Panas frowned thoughtfully. "One of the boys has a medical dictionary. I'll have to find out which one."

"Aizik," Spencer told him. "He's an average blader roughly a year younger than me. Boris kept him on cause he sees potential for a Biovolt trained scientist who knows something about blading."

Panas thought for a moment. "I think I know the one you mean. Average height, reddish hair, grey eyes. Always looks like he needs to eat more."

Spencer nodded. "That's him."

Tala looked back. "Can you trust him?"

Spencer nodded. "He smuggles stuff out of the lab for some of the boys. Remember that drug bust last year where four of the boys got caught?" The others nodded. "Aizik got them the supplies, but cleaned his trail so well that they never _did_ find out where it had come from. We can trust him."

"In that case, if he knows something about medicine, bring him down here." Tala looked back toward Bryan, noting that the skin was paler than normal. "We've got to find out what's wrong."

* * *

Well, it seems the boys have a plan for escaping the Abbey and… is Bryan _sick_!? o_O


	15. Chapter 15

****

Chapter 15

_phoenix the 1st_: Later. Like the last chapter. :p

_Bloody Mary_: I decided on Andrei. So in my fics it would be Bryan Boris Andreievich Kuznetsov. Of course, he hides the second part of his name for obvious reasons... ^_~

_Matty KakaSaku rulz_: Guess we'll find out.

_Shaman Wolf:_ I'm not really going to remove the tension issue here, so... *runs*

_Black Jaggan_: How could I do that to Bryan? Well, it was actually rather easy. You see, I had the idea, and then I paid him a shitload of money and... *spots everyone staring at her* What? Holding a gun to his head just didn't work, so I had to try _something_. *Bryan smirks, JPC smacking him over the ear* Stop it you.

_Jay Kamiya_: He might be... then again, he may not. :p

_eyriess_: Have you tried making words with the letters? That's always fun. ^_^

_Lady Snowblossom_: Yes, I am evil. My _Star Wars_ fan fic readers call me Evil Goddess. And wonderful? #^_^# Aw shucks. Anyway, you're right about the diagnosis. Just don't tell anyone. ^_~

_KuronekoHikage_: Nurse him back to health, Tala can and _will_ do. :p

_LadyOrient_: Might need to cross your toes too. :p

_Castles in the Sky_: Oh. Thanks. *Takes chewits* And that would probably get them over the fence, yes. But I decided not to add that plot device. ^_^

_umi n secylia_: Yeap, I most certainly have.

_Reiven_: Come on, it's better than Kevin hacking off his leg in _Highway_. ^_~

Boy it's taking a while to set this story up in html format. I mean, chopping it up into chapters, pasting it onto new documents, and setting out and writing the header and footer…

****

Disclaimer: See first page 

* * *

Tala was uneasy. No, that was an understatement. It had never occurred to him that the fact the other guys could only come down twice a day would cause any problems. The night before Tala had been looking forward to this time alone, but now all he wanted was for Ian, Spencer and Panas to return with Aizik.

Bryan had made no improvement, but had in fact worsened. His fever was running higher, sweat now collecting in fine droplets on his skin, Tala gently washing them away. It stabbed Tala deep to see Bryan like this, so weak and vulnerable. Tala wanted to do everything he could to help Bryan, but until he knew what it was causing this to happen, there was nothing that could be done.

Tala himself was becoming sick with worry. He showered and ate, trying to keep to a normal routine, but he could never take his mind off the one he had allowed to capture his heart.

Years ago, after Kai had been removed from the Abbey, Tala had sworn that he would never allow himself to form a bond with anyone ever again. He had been only six-years-old, Bryan seven and Tala's best friend aside from Kai. But Tala had shut Bryan out in an attempt to distance himself, something Bryan himself had taken to doing.

But a year ago Tala had lain awake after a vigorous training session, reality dawning on him as he realised his feelings for Bryan ran deeper than that of brother to brother, friend to friend. He had fallen for the ice-hearted and emotionless blader, and exactly when he did not know. Since then, he had wondered if the feelings could ever be returned.

He still wondered that.

As he worked on building a pyramid out of the cards, he noted a break in Bryan's even breathing, causing him to turn. "Bry?"

Lavender eyes fluttered open briefly, faint lines creasing the otherwise smooth face. "Tal?"

Tala dropped the cards onto the table, crossing the room in three long steps and stopping by the elder teen's side, reaching out to smooth the brow. "How are you feeling?"

"Like utter shit." Bryan looked up at him. "What time is it?"

"Mid-afternoon. We tried to wake you, but we couldn't."

Bryan looked up at him. "The others been?"

"Yeah. I spoke with them about our plan and they want to go with it. The passage comes out near the graveyard, and the woods are on the other side of the fence."

"Good cover."

"Exactly." Tala sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at him. "You're sick, Bry-"

"No shit."

"-so Spencer and Panas are going to look for the boy with some sort of history in medicine or something."

"His father's a bigwig doctor," Bryan smiled faintly. "Aizik. The drug supplier."

Tala frowned. "How do you know that?"

"I've dabbled. Gave it up pretty quick. Slowed my ability to pick things up mentally." Bryan sighed heavily, closing his eyes. "Can't have been the food. You look fine."

Tala nodded, caressing Bryan's face, smoothing out some of the stress lines. "Aizik should be able to tell us what's wrong."

"If he don't, and I don't get better," Bryan looked up at him, meeting his eye, "you three leave me behind, understand?"

Tala's eyes widened. "I don't think so-"

"Understand?"

Tala set his jaw, meeting that gaze. "No."

Bryan frowned. "What?"

"I'm team captain. It's my responsibility to see that you are all okay. I cannot leave a teammate behind."

Bryan's eyes narrowed. "I will slow you down. You will be captured-"

"So be it then."

Bryan sighed in defeat, fight leaving his eyes. "Stubborn."

"Comes from being around you too long." Tala leant forward, kissing his forehead. "After all, you've always been my main role model."

"You're condemned " Bryan lost himself in Tala's eyes, still too weak to move. "You be careful, Tal. Whatever I've got might be contagious."

Tala shrugged, leaning down, lips gently brushing Bryan's before he stood, moving toward the table. "Let's find you something to eat."

* * *

So Bryan likes their plan, and Tala refuses to leave Bryan behind. And not only that, Bryan's dabbled in drugs. Then again, that's not really surprising, is it? :p


	16. Chapter 16

****

Chapter 16

_Reiven_: Nobody can!

_Bloody Mary_: Oh you're cruel... I like it. ^_^

_Jay Kamiya_: Tala's reactions are always good. :p

_eyriess_: Copy and paste your reviews? Why not let your mind go wild! Some of the stuff I come out with in reviews, I wonder why the author/ess's don't track me down and kill me. :p

_phoenix the 1st_: Bryan can be cute if he wants to be. ^_~

_KuronekoHikage_: Ooo. What do you have in mind? Tell me. :p

_umi n secylia_: I copy and paste these into html format from my full length completed fic, and some of the segments can be short, but no less important. Sorry.

_russle_: Is this quick enough for you? I update a lot. Too bad I can't write as fast as I update, though I just completed another fic today. Heh heh heh ^_^;;

_Castles in the Sky_: I guess you're just have to wait and see, won't you. :p

_Curtis Zidane Ziraa_: I'm Australian, so I'm not sure what's happening in Canada. As for the manga, I'm not sure what you mean by that question. Where you can buy them? Or just info on them and what happens? I buy the manga's from my local newsagency, so I know what happens. Up to Volume 11 and expected Volume 12 out soon.

Meet Aizik…

****

Disclaimer: See first page 

* * *

The teen looked up as he heard the footsteps behind him, a small smile playing across his lips as he sat the tube back in the rack. "Been waiting for you."

Panas circled around him, Spencer and Ian taking up the other positions as the elder boy moved toward the nerd. "And whys that, Aizik?"

"Simple." Aizik pulled off the goggles, setting them on the bench as he switched off the Bunsen burner. "I got a look at the boys while I was mushing in Hayden's face, and knew that one of them would probably end up needing some med attention. Question is now, which one is it? The captain? Or Iceheart?"

Ian growled. "You sound like you want something."

"Oh no, there's nothing I need." Aizik smirked, grey eyes calculating. "I owe Iceheart anyway. I'd consider it paying my debt." He narrowed his eyes. "And judging by the way your eyes tighten every time I say it, Iceheart's the one who needs the attention."

Spencer watched him. Though he trusted Aizik, that didn't mean he had to like him. "Can you help?"

Aizik looked from one to the other, then nodded once. "I'll see what I can do. In the past, I've always noted that Bryan has a very unique genetic structure. He is, as they say, _perfect_, meaning he can withstand most diseases and poisons. If something's brought him down, then it's something serious indeed."

"Tala couldn't get him to wake this morning," Panas explained. "He was also running a fever, though he was fine the night before."

"Adrenaline is the purist of steroids," Aizik explained, crossing to the bookshelf at the far end of the room. "It can mask many a physical impairment, often numbing pain, exhaustion, and many other things. He may have felt fine, but was in fact not. No doubt he occurred some sort of injury during his sessions with Boris."

"Stab wound on the leg is the main one," Ian said. "He got that day one. It was how Boris was able to defeat him."

"Blood loss is a major possibility then. Starvation and malnutrition are another." Aizik found what he was looking for, pulling it from the shelf and tucking it under his arm, glancing at the clock on the wall. "Shift change time in the monitor room. It's about now they'll be breaking out a couple of drinks too, being Friday. I also heard rumour of a meeting for the guards, so now would be a good time to take me to wherever you've hidden them."

Panas narrowed his eyes, watching the younger, before straightening, moving toward the door. "Follow me."

~~~~*~~~~

Tala looked up as they entered the room, eyes taking them in and settling on Aizik for a moment, before looking back down at the teen sleeping in his arms. "He was awake a while ago. I was able to get him to eat something before he passed out again. He's almost too weak to move."

Aizik dropped his bag on the table, not even bothering to take in his surroundings before he made his way toward the bed. "Was he able to keep the food down?"

Tala nodded. "I gave him some fruit and some sugary foods, in case it's low blood sugar. He had the shakes."

"Has he had any meat?"

"The stew, meal one," Ian answered. "We haven't brought any down. Why? Do you think he needs it?"

"Red meat is a rich source of iron. Stretch him out on the bed, Tala. I'll see if I can work out what's wrong."

They watched in silence, answering any questions Aizik had, taking in the equipment the med had brought with him to test blood samples. After almost an hour, Aizik grunted, frowning. "I was right: blood loss is the major factor. And because he hasn't been given the correct foods to compensate and rebuild it, it's draining him.

"I also picked up faint traces of an infection which, my guess would be, comes from the stab wound. Washing the area with disinfectant should slow that. The other thing I noticed is an imbalance, the kind most often seen following an electrical shock of some kind."

Tala looked up sharply. "Would having a live wire dragged across your wet body be enough to cause it?"

Ian, Spencer and Panas gaped at him, Aizik taking it all in his stride. "That would do it, yes."

Ian blinked as Aizik went about mixing together a few things, flipping through his books. "Boris did _what_?"

Tala looked at him. "Boris did a lot of things. That was simply the latest in a long line. He wanted us to tell him something, but we didn't give him the answer he wanted, though what we _did_ tell him was the truth."

"Sometimes its not the truth Boris wants," Panas said softly, "but rather the truth he fabricates for himself."

The others nodded their agreement, Aizik finishing his concoction and pouring it into a bottle, setting it aside.

"I don't have the proper resources to do anything about the imbalance," he said. "But I've made a little something that will rebuild Bryan's blood count as well as returning nourishment at a rate faster than any food. That in itself may help to ease the imbalance, and I suggest that you take some too, Tala. A teaspoon every two-to-three hours."

Tala nodded. "Got it."

Aizik frowned, eyes narrowing. "I'll be back down in two days. If there is no improvement by then, then there is nothing that I can do."

* * *

So this is Aizik, the local med kid and drug supplier.

Did you know: both Aizik and Panas are Russian names? Aizik is another form of Isaac, and Panas means 'immortal'.


	17. Chapter 17

****

Chapter 17

_phoenix the 1st_: Maybe not, but Bryan was still _there_. ^_^

_russle_: You _like_ Aizik? O_o;;

_Castles in the Sky_: I have an 'Iceheart' in all my fan fics, and Bryan happened to be the pick of Beyblade. It refers to the character with no emotions, and therefore a heart of ice.

_eyriess_: Happy computer always good. Mine just got an upgrade. Mine happy too. ^_^

_Jay Kamiya_: Mm-hm. I needed someone other than Ian who was annoying. :p

_phoenix of order_: No, but you got the infection right.

_Ashla_: That okay. Hope you were able to catch up on all your reading. :p

_Curtis Zidane Ziraa_: A newsagency is a place where you can buy your newspaper, magazines, comics, stationary, cards, lollies and chocolates, cigarettes, and various other small items. Not to be confused with a general store or the corner shop, and most newsagencies are within main shopping centres (though not always). Hope that helps.

_Bloody Mary_: Aizik was created to be annoying. ^_^ And apparently I'm cruel too, but mainly to Bryan, Ray and the members of the White Tigers.

_KuronekoHikage_: Heh heh. You're just as bad as I am. And I'm afraid that's saying something... #-_-#;;

_Reiven_: Well, Panas _is_ hot. :p

Sorry for the delay. First I was violently ill, then my internet played up, then I had my computer in for repairs. Anyway, back to the story:

.So, Aizik has left them some medicine. Will it work?

****

Disclaimer: See first page 

* * *

He awoke to almost complete darkness, lavender eyes cracking open as he felt the weight on his chest. Looking down, he spotted the red hair of his longtime friend as the other curled against his chest, sleeping softly. The moment Bryan moved though, Tala was wide-awake.

"I've been waiting for you to wake." Tala sat up, kissing Bryan gently on the forehead and sliding from the bed, padding almost silently to the table. "Aizik came while you were sleeping and left us something to help us regain our strength." Tala listed off everything Aizik had said, coming back with a teaspoon of the formula. "It doesn't taste too good, but we should know by tomorrow whether it works or not."

Bryan remained silent, swallowing the formula and trying not to pull a face at the taste, Tala none-the-less spotting it and chuckling. "I warned you that it didn't taste too good."

Setting the things aside, Tala slid back onto the bed, running his fingers through Bryan's lavender strands. "Spencer and Ian are worried about you. So's Panas. So much for saying they don't care about you."

Bryan looked at him. "They don't. They're acting."

Tala sighed heavily. "Bryan, what is it going to take to convince you otherwise? Boris has raised you to believe yourself unwanted and unloved, but that just isn't the case. You're the strongest member of the group, and not only that, nearly all of the boys look up to you like an older brother, a role model they would give anything to be like."

"They don't know the truth."

"Bryan…" Tala's shoulders slumped ever so slightly. "You're a stubborn prick, you know that? Who cares what they do and don't know, all that matters is that they care about _you_. I may be the captain of the Demolition Boys, but to them _you're_ the fearless leader. And I doubt I would have gotten this far if it were not for you. I follow your lead, Bryan. Hell, you lost, _I_ lost, how much more could I follow?"

The corners of Bryan's lips turned up slightly, just enough for Tala to catch.

Tala leant down, kissing his forehead. "I love you, Bryan, and I mean that. Perhaps, if you allowed the barriers down a little, you'd realise just how much. Now, you get some sleep. Give that stuff some time to work through your system. Ian and Spence are going to find us some meat in the morning, as cake and fruit just aren't doing anything for us."

Tala settled back into the bed, reaching out and pulling Bryan to him, Bryan allowing the younger teen to draw him into his arms. Closing his eyes, it wasn't long before Bryan was asleep, Tala smiling faintly, stroking his cheek before kissing the top of Bryan's head, closing his own eyes and allowing sleep to take him.

~~~~*~~~~

"The boys are talking."

Ian and Spencer looked up, spotting Panas as he slid into the small room. Spencer frowned. "About what?"

Panas's lips were thin, eyes tight. "About Bryan. Words out that Iceheart is sick, and they're starting to freak out. I spent most of last night trying to convince my team that he wasn't going to die."

Ian scowled. "Aizik told them."

Panas shook his head. "Not Aizik directly. Lets just say we were overheard."

Spencer and Ian exchanged a sharp look. "Overheard?"

Panas nodded. "Thankfully it was one of the boys. Had it of been one of the guards, me, you two and Aizik would all be in deep shit right about now."

Ian shifted. "We're getting careless. Tala's gonna have a fit when he finds out."

Spencer nodded his agreement.

"Well anyway, I managed to round up some meat." Panas sat the package onto the table and pushed it toward them. "Bacon. I'm not sure if they like it, but that's what was on the menu. I had Rhyce sneak into the kitchen and grab it while the cooks were having their smoko."

Ian looked at him. "Won't the cooks notice it missing?"

"Probably not. The guards pinch food all the time, or so I've noticed." Panas glanced at the clock, then behind him at the shout from the main room. "Looks like I'm not heading down today. There was a rumour we had to train, and it looks like it's become fact."

Spencer frowned. "You guys have been training a lot recently."

"Yeah, I know." Panas frowned. "I think Boris plans to retire you guys,"

"_What_!?" Ian and Spencer shot to their feet.

Panas waved them down. "I'm not certain on that. All I know is that our training is coming from orders directly from Boris. Our training has intensified, while you guys haven't been training at all. At least not by orders."

Spencer looked at Ian. "He's right."

"But why?" Ian frowned. "We're the best this Abbey has got. We didn't lose. The _team_ lost yes, but Spence and I won. Or at least Spence did, I didn't battle in the finals, but I won all my other matches as easy as all hell."

Spencer looked at him. "Bryan and Tala lost, and we were trained to work with them."

"Guess Boris figures that without them he can't use you." Panas shook his head, frowning. "What I want to know is why Boris would destroy those two after all the work he put into them."

"Tala thinks its because Boris sees them as failures," Ian replied, looking up as the shout came again. "And you'd better split."

Panas nodded his agreement, standing and disappearing through the doorway. When he was gone, the other two exchanged a look.

"That settles it," Ian said. "We're leaving."

* * *

Interesting. Bryan considers himself unwanted, the boys were overheard talking and word got around, and now it appears Boris has plans of replacing Ian and Spencer with the reserves team of which Panas is the leader. Talk about some major developments in one hit.


	18. Chapter 18

****

Chapter 18

_phoenix the 1st_: It should be, but Bryan's not thinking that way. Yet. *smirks*

_Reiven_: With me, the plot is always thickening. I like weaving both character and plot based stories. Hard to do, but they're great when they work. ^_^

_Bloody Mary_: I think Tala would freak if he knew about Bryan in "Bloodstained", and personally, I wouldn't blame him. If someone was thinking that about me, I'd be putting myself in witness protection. :p And I know about the OC problem. Once of my _Star Wars _OCs keeps stalking me. *Cenev sticks his head into the story. "Who, me?* -_-;;

_Castles in the Sky_: I'm so glad you think it works. Some things don't. A _lot_ of things don't.

_Ashla_: You want disgusting medicine, you should see what they force down your throat in hospital. And I swear, the stuff in the drips, it ends up in your bloodstream and eventually you end up tasting it. Trust me. _

_eyriess_: Yep. Boris is still trying to clear his name following the tournament. Good luck to him.

_Curtis Zidane Ziraa_: It most certainly is. ^_~

Tala is not going to be happy that they were overheard.

****

Disclaimer: See first page 

* * *

Tala looked up as the other two entered, setting his glass back down on the table and pushing himself to his feet. "You took your time."

"Had to wait for Panas," Ian said. "And he had to wait for Rhyce to pinch the meat."

"So what did they get?"

"Bacon."

Tala raised an eyebrow. "Bacon? I'm not too fond of the stuff, but Bryan doesn't seem mind it. But I can't really afford to be fussy, can I?"

"Not really." Spencer pulled the package from inside his vest and dropped it onto the table. "It's raw."

"Well we'd better cook it then."

As they went about preparing and cooking the meat, Ian and Spencer informed Tala of everything that was going on in the Abbey. As predicted, Tala was not impressed when he discovered that they had been overheard, and proceeded to give them a lecture about being more cautious and aware of ones surroundings.

Tala was interested when they told him about the intensified training of the reserves team, and of the theories for why that was happening. He agreed with Spencer's idea that it was because the other two boys were trained to work with Tala and Bryan, and that Boris figured that without those two, there was no need for them.

Ian frowned as he held out the plate for Tala to dump the meat onto. "What will Boris do with us? We were trained to battle, and if he sees no use for us…" He blinked. "He wouldn't, would be?"

Spencer was unable to fight the shudder that moved through him. "He was gonna kill Bry and Tal, so what would stop him?"

"But we're too good for that. We're the best bladers in the Abbey-"

"Exactly." Tala sat the plate on the table and dropped into a seat, eyes settling on the 12-year-old. "In the past, Boris has only used the weaker bladers for his experiments. As far as I know, Alexander was the most advanced, and the tests have been successful because of this. If he had you two, just imagine how successful they would be then."

Ian shivered. "There's no way I'm getting experimented on. The sooner we leave the better."

"Agreed."

Spencer nodded to the side. "First we've got to wait for Bryan to get better."

Ian looked down at the food. "Maybe we should put some of this aside with a cover over it. To keep it warm."

"Don't bother." Tala glanced toward the bed, eyebrow raised. "He's awake. Has been the whole time."

To prove his point, lavender eyes cracked open in an icy glare.

"Get up, Bryan." Tala crossed his arms over his chest. "I've known you my entire life, so I can tell when you're faking."

Bryan's hand turned over, central finger extended in a silent reply.

"To you too." Tala turned his back on him. "Just get up, would you. Before I drag you out of bed by your ankle. And I'll make certain that your head slams into the floor."

Bryan snorted, pushing himself up. "You're a real charmer, Wolf."

"And you're still a jerk, Falcon, now get over here."

"Yes O Captain, my Captain."

Ian and Spencer exchanged a grin as Tala growled, Bryan slowly moving toward them to drop into the fourth seat at the table.

Spencer grinned at him. "Good to see you up, Falcon. You had us worried."

Bryan simply shrugged it off, picking at a bit of bacon.

Tala smiled faintly, eating his own breakfast as Ian and Spencer went over everything that had been said the day before, and that morning. Bryan was content with letting Tala reply to comments and answer any questions, the elder simply eating in silence, listening in and mentally taking note for future reference.

Finally, Ian could resist no more. "So what's going on between you two exactly?"

Tala glanced at Bryan, who didn't even flinch. "What do you mean 'what's going on'?"

Ian crossed his arms over his chest, looking at his captain. "When we arrived yesterday morning, you were curled up asleep with your arms around Bryan, and that was _before_ we knew something was wrong with him. And when we showed up last night, you were cradling him in your arms. What's going on?"

Tala raised an eyebrow. "What do you _think_ is going on?"

Ian sighed, knowing full well Tala was dodging the questions. "Look Tal, are you guys sleeping together?"

The eyebrow rose further. "Ian, we only have one bed, which we are sharing. How would _you_ answer that question?"

Ian was beginning to get irritated. "Look, are you two screwing each other?"

Tala's eyes became cold slits. "No, we are not."

"What, so you're just letting Bryan screw you then? Or maybe you took advantage of him while he was– eek!"

Ian found himself hoisted up from his seat by the front of his shirt, Bryan's eyes blazing as he snarled. "I have a good mind to–"

"Bryan!"

Tala and Spencer were on their feet, Tala holding Bryan back as Spencer fought to free Ian from his grip. After several moments of struggle, they were successful, Spencer holding Ian back as the youngest member fought to get his revenge, Bryan seething as Tala kept one arm tight around his waist.

"That was uncalled for, Ian," Tala said, glaring at the younger.

Ian pointed at Bryan. "He attacked me–"

"And I don't blame him for it." Tala's glare hardened. "If he hadn't, I would have. And Bryan." He looked at the Falcon's face. "You are still in no condition to get worked up like that, so cool it."

Bryan growled, settling himself back in his seat, Tala remaining standing with his hands resting on Bryan's shoulders. Spencer, once he was sure Ian had settled, sat down in his own seat, though Bryan and Ian continued to glare at each other.

Tala sighed, tugging gently at Bryan's lavender hair. "Look Ian, nobody is screwing anyone, at least not as far as Bryan and I are concerned. And personally, it would be none of your business if we _were_ screwing each other. And neither of us are in any condition to do something like that anyhow."

Ian sunk down in his seat. "Yeah. Sorry Tala. I was just curious, that's all."

"As for what's going on between us." Tala frowned. "We're friends. We've grown up together since we were babies. We've always been close. If we ever become any closer… well, so be it. And to be honest, that's none of your concern. And, none of your business. So don't bother asking again. If anything happens, _we'll_ decide whether or not to tell you, got that?"

Ian smirked. "So there's a chance something _might_ happen–"

"Ian…"

"Oh come on, I was just playin'." Ian sighed. "You can be too serious sometimes."

Spencer looked around them. "I vote we stay off that topic from now on."

"Agreed." Tala settled back into his seat, eyes watching Bryan in case the other made a second grab for Ian, but saw it wouldn't be the case. Bryan had shut Ian out. Tala turned to Spencer. "Now, what exactly are the drills the reserves are running?"

* * *

Heh heh. Bryan was gonna kill Ian for a moment there. And personally, I wouldn't have blamed him. What do you think?


	19. Chapter 19

****

Chapter 19

_phoenix the 1st_: I wish they'd do that too. ^_^

_Cat in the web_: He most certainly is.

_russle_: Admittedly I prefer it when Bryan is angry too, but I see him more as someone who is in control up until breaking point, in which case you must _run for you life_!!!

_Bloody Mary_: You _can_ understand what they're both getting at. And I can't wait to see that story!

_Castles in the Sky_: Kev is not annoying. In the series he is simply a try-hard 'give me some attention here' kind of person, that's all. But yeah, despite the fact Ian has some cool lines in the series, he's annoying. :p

_Jay Kamiya_: I'd actually ignore Ian if he asked me that. Then again, I would spend the next little while plotting revenge... -_-;;

_KuronekoHikage_: Tala and Bryan have off hours? And here I thought they were turned on all the time. *nudge nudge, evil grin*

_phoenix of order_: Let us pray that Ian decides to keep his big mouth shut then. ^_~

_LadyOrient_: Also one of my favourite mental images from a fic. You can just see it...

_eyriess_: Good luck to him? Okay, let's insert the sarcastic infliction to the voice. Do you understand what I was saying now?

_Fire4Ice_: Can't kill them? I could. Heh heh. :p

_Ashla_: Major back surgery a couple of years ago. Not really a secret. And why is it that everyone likes the pissed off Bryan? ^_^

_Acey1_: As I always say: only one way to find out.

And now some more 'alone' time…

****

Disclaimer: See first page 

* * *

"You really need to do something about that temper of yours."

"Shut up."

"There it is again." Tala looked toward the closed bathroom door. "I'll admit Ian asked for that this morning, but belting the crap out of him wouldn't have made things any better."

"It would have made _me_ feel better."

"Perhaps, but it would not have improved the situation in the long run." Tala sighed. "Ian just needs to learn when to keep his mouth closed. He's only 12 after all. He probably didn't even know what he was saying."

"Oh, he knew." Bryan opened the door, still towelling his hair dry. "You learn that stuff early around here. That bastard knew _exactly _what he was saying."

Tala sighed. "Bryan…"

"He pretty much said you would rape me while I was out of it. And I could not let him get away with _saying_ such a thing."

Tala raised his hands in defence. "He was joking–"

"Rape is no joking matter!" Bryan sighed, leaning against the doorframe and closing his eyes. "What the boy does not understand is that some things should not be spoken of, not even in play. The only way to teach him better is to smack him around the ears when he does it. That way it might sink in."

Tala raised an eyebrow. "You sound like you're his father."

Bryan sighed heavily, tossing the towel aside. "Sometimes I feel like I am."

A silence hung in the air for a moment before Tala slid from his chair, picking up Aizik's formula and setting out two teaspoons. "Are you feeling any better?"

"I am actually." Bryan stepped away from the doorway and limped toward him, taking one of the spoons. "Not feeling as run down as I was. And the meat helped."

"Agreed."

They met each others eye, setting themselves before they swallowed the medicine, fighting to keep from wincing. They tossed their spoons in the tub, taking a glass of water and washing the concoction down.

"Damn that stuff's nasty."

Tala nodded his agreement. "Seems to work though." He ran his eye over his comrade. "And personally I don't think you should be moving around so much. You need to save your strength and give yourself a chance to heal."

"I needed a shower."

"You took a long time having it."

"Had to be careful of the wound."

Tala's eyes drifted downward. "Speaking of which, how _is_ the wound?"

"The bleeding's stopped. Can't tell you any more."

Tala nodded, setting his glass down. "You really should go back to bed."

"Depends how you look at it, Wolf." Bryan set down his own glass and leant back on the table. "You say going to bed will help me heal, I say going to bed will heighten the chances of my passing out when we make a run for it. I gotta get used to being up."

Tala glared at him. "You're countermanding my orders again, Falcon."

"They weren't orders." Bryan pushed himself up from the table, reaching out to brush the hair from Tala's face. "Besides, don't you think _I _would know what's best for _me_?"

Tala nuzzled his hand. "I say you do it deliberate to rile me."

"Don't take much to rile you, Wolf. But I'm not as good at doing it as Phoenix is." Bryan brushed his lips against Tala's, raising an eyebrow. "And I recall telling someone to sleep a couple of nights ago, and being promptly ignored."

Tala chuckled, sliding his arms around Bryan's neck and kissing him hard. Bryan returned the kiss with equal force, pulling the younger and taller to him, enjoying the moment. Tala was no different, having waited for this since two nights before: time alone with the one that had captured his heart.

The kisses became more heated, both fighting to keep themselves from dragging and throwing the other onto the bed. Tala moaned softly as Bryan trailed fingers along his spine, sending a pleasant shiver through him as his heart thudded in his ears.

They heard a throat clearing to the side, Tala raising a hand and signalling for one minute more as the two wound down the kiss, letting it slid to teasing licks before finally breaking apart.

Bryan raised an eyebrow. "Thought you guys only came twice a day, Panas."

The elder shrugged, biting back a smile as he stepped further into the room. "Got a couple of hours off, and since I missed coming down this morning I thought I'd drop in and see how you both were." He raised an eyebrow. "Frisky, by the looks of it."

Bryan snorted.

Panas looked at him. "So, have you shown him how good you are in bed?"

Bryan threw Panas an amused look. "Give me time. Besides, I never slept with you, so how would _you_ know?"

"I guess." Panas glanced at Tala, nodding toward Bryan. "Is he still a good kisser?"

Tala blinked. "Wait a minute, you two were…"

Panas shrugged. "A few years ago, yes. But only for a couple on months. We decided it would be best if we were just friends."

Bryan flicked his gaze toward the elder boy. "You were scared Boris would find out."

Panas returned the gaze. "Once in the dungeon was enough for me."

Tala looked toward Bryan, frowning. "You never told me that."

Bryan shrugged, leaning back on the table again, crossing his arms over his chest. "It was not important, and I saw no need for you to know."

"Besides," Panas smiled sheepishly. "I kinda had him promise not to tell anyone."

Tala met Bryan's eyes. "I think it's 'he was _petrified_ that Boris would find out', not '_scared_ Boris would find out'."

Panas glared at him, then shifted. "Speaking of Boris, the reason I came down here is to tell you there is news of him." The two boys looked up, Bryan gesturing for him to go ahead. "Overheard the head guard talking to a couple of the more senior guards while we students were running our drills. Boris has managed to clear the Abbey of any wrongdoing, and the team as well. However, the authorities want Boris to remain in Moscow for two more days in regards to other dealings."

"Two days?" Tala frowned. "So you're telling us we have two days?"

Panas nodded. "I suggest you leave tomorrow night."

Tala shot a look to the side. "But Bryan–"

"I'll be fine, Tal, don't you worry about me." Bryan looked toward Panas. "Ian and Spencer know?"

Panas shook his head. "I was planning on telling them tonight, but Boris sent orders for them to train this evening, right up to the curfew."

"Find a way to tell them, cause they need to know," Tala said, shaking his head. "This isn't enough time. We need one more day."

"Well we ain't getting it," Bryan told him, smirking. "Besides, we do our best work under pressure. After all we've been through, this should be a breeze."

* * *

Plot's really starting to get moving. And how's that for a twist; Panas and Bryan were once an item there for a short time. Bet you never saw _that_ coming. And Bryan being an optimist? Wonders never cease. *Ducks another swipe from Bryan*


	20. Chapter 20

****

Chapter 20

_phoenix the 1st_: Just read over the chapter again if you're confused, but Bryan is the one who calls Kai 'Phoenix'.

_russle_: I'm glad you liked the Bryan/Panas thing. That's gonna appear in a few of my other stories, so keep an eye out for it. Difference is, in the other stories, Bryan and Panas were a little more... serious. ~_^

_Castles in the Sky_: At least you hope they have, me thinks. Makes it more interesting if they had. *^_^*

_Bloody Mary_: You? A nice girl? That's almost like saying I'm one. :p We'll see how much work Spence has to do, at the moment though...

_LadyOrient_: Mission Impossible? Ack! Now that songs stuck in my head! *bangs head against closest wall* :p

_Jay Kamiya_: A description? *Digs up stuff from a Beyblade RPG* Dark brown hair and eyes, and the hair is slightly curly. Pale complexion (the norm for the Abbey) and he is 6'4". He's three years older than Bryan, and he is _hot_. ^_~

_eyriess_: I went from updating fast to updating slow. Oh the shame. -_-

_KuronekoHikage_: A 24/7 hard on? Just who are we talking about here? Tala, Bryan or Panas. *nudge*

_umi n secylia_: Unless you forget to oil the gears of course. :p

_phoenix of order_: Too late. *rubs the back of her head* He got pissed at me cause in another fic I'm writing I made him go five months without sex. Never do that to Bryan. Trust me.

_Fire4Ice_: Of course Bryan didn't get angry. It was Panas. And I'm so glad think that of my fic. #^_^#

_Ashla_: Yep, that's why Bryan trusts him all right. And they probably would get bored... if they could... hmm...

_Curtis Zidane Ziraa_: Well mesa updated. I hope yousa like.

_Lady Snowblossom_: You'll have to read and find out about the Blade Breakers. As for Boris? Yep. Just like him to get himself out of shit. Bastard... -_-;;

_Disengage_: I'm an angst writer. I've won awards for it. My torture scenes have made me famous. And you better get to your classes or else you'll be in trouble, and we cannot have that.

_DranzerGirl_: You copied and pasted it? Yeah, I do that to my faves too. Just don't go stealing it. Not that I don't trust you. :p

Another shortie.

****

Disclaimer: See first page 

* * *

"Man, Boris certainly doesn't make it easy." Ian sighed, linking his fingers together behind his head. "I just wish we had of had enough time to take food down to Tal and Bry."

"They've still got some, besides, Panas would have taken some down." Spencer stiffened a yawn. "So much for retiring us."

"Yeah, now Boris is just plain _tiring_ us. Do you think–" Ian bolted up as there came a knock on the door. "Oh crap."

Spencer stiffened. If he were caught in Ian's room after curfew, the consequences would be severe. He shot a look at Ian, who swallowed hard, shrugging in defeat before he called out.

"Who's there?"

"Someone who's gonna _kill_ you if you don't let us in before the camera swings around."

Spencer breathed a sigh of relief at the sound of their captains voice, Ian leaping from the bed and scurrying to the door, throwing it open and standing back as his teammates slid inside, closing the door behind them.

"What are you guys doing here?" Ian asked.

Spencer nodded. "It's too risky."

Tala looked at them. "Have you seen Panas today?"

Ian and Spencer exchanged a look. "Only this morning, why?"

Bryan leant against the door. "Boris comes back in two days."

Ian blinked. "What?"

"We leave tomorrow night," Tala continued. "So pack your things now. Bry and I will take them back down with us once we get out own." He paused. "That is, of course, if you're still coming."

"I'm comin'," Spencer said. 

"Why wouldn't we come?" Ian agreed.

Tala nodded, glancing back at Bryan. "The longer we're up here, the higher the chances of getting caught are. So let's move."

Bryan turned and tugged at the door as Spencer moved to join them, glancing at the location of the camera and drawing back, counting in his mind before checking again and giving the all clear. Tala, Spencer and Bryan slid out into the corridor, making for their rooms as Ian dug a backpack out from under his bed. 

He sorted through his clothes, picking the ones he would need and packing them first, then folding up a blanket and shoving it in as well, glancing at the pillows on his bed and shrugging. Pillows were a luxury, not a necessity.

Flipping open the lid of his box, he dug out his personal cloak. He pulled it free and ran his fingers over the light yet warm fabric, patterns with reptilian scales. He smiled, remembering when Boris had given the cloaks to them: Ian's patterned like a serpent; Spencer's a greyish-blue, as if the skin of a whale as it moved through water; Bryan's looking as if it were made of feathers; and Tala's pure white, lined with fine fur. The serpent, the whale, the falcon, and the white wolf.

Tossing the cloak onto the top of the pile, he went about finding his few personal effects and memento's, stashing them into the backpack skilfully, everything having a place. He made one last turn around the room to make sure he had everything he needed, then, as an afterthought, finding a jacket and adding it to the pile. While he had been brought up in this part of Russia, he had still better not risk it. Getting sick could make things a great deal worse than they already were.

Satisfied, he closed the bag, setting the cloak on top and waiting, glancing at the clock from time to time. Spencer returned first, setting his bag and cloak down by the door as they were joined by Tala. Not long after Bryan slid into the room, cloak and jacket hanging over his arm as he closed the door.

"Got everything?" Tala asked.

The other three nodded, Bryan pulling his jacket on so not to carry it, Ian noting that there was no sign on Bryan's vest, then remembering how Bryan had once commented that he only wore it cause Boris insisted he did, the shoulder pads and fur making the 18-year-old appear larger and more of a threat.

Ian smirked. You only needed to be at the brunt end of one of Bryan's glares to know that he was a threat best avoided.

Tala looked at them. "Ian, Spencer, I need you two to try and round up as much food as you can. Remember, once we hit the road we won't be able to cook anything, and we need stuff to keep our strength up. We'll get one lot of food in the morning, another in the evening right before we leave, understand?"

They nodded, Spencer glancing at Ian. "I'll ask Aizik what will be best."

"We'll sort it out," Ian agreed.

Tala glanced at the clock. "We'd better head back. Try and get as much sleep as you can, cause tomorrow night we will not be stopping to rest. The more distance we get between here and us, the happier I'll be."

Again, they nodded.

Tala straightened, taking Ian's things as Bryan collected Spencer's. "We'll see you two tomorrow then."

"Be careful on the way back down," Ian said.

Tala smiled faintly, nodding to Bryan who opened the door. They waited for the right moment, then vanished into the corridor, leaving Ian and Spencer to their thoughts.

* * *

They're preparing to leave. Everything's going according to plan so far.


	21. Chapter 21

****

Chapter 21

_phoenix the 1st_: Nah, Tala is the cutest. I just love those eyes. *sighs dreamily.

_Cat in the web_: Still a few chapters to go yet. Maybe they don't make it at all. :p

_Padfootlet_: Welcome. Hope you find this once you get to this page. Glad you're liking it and yes, Boris _is_ a bastard. ^_^

_Bloody Mary_: I like to keep an even mix of drama, action, angst and humour. Just that sometimes there ends up more of one than the others. -_-

_Castles in the Sky_: Nothing serious. My computer had an upgrade and it wasn't working so it had to go back, and it took them a week to amend the problem, that's all. However, I do have a large load of homework... but I'll get over it. And I think you'll like this chapter.

_DranzerGirl_: I'll have to write a Bryan/Panas story one day. But anyway, keep reading and enjoy!

_russle_: I read your review and laughed. I showed it to a friend and she laughed. I showed it to my sister and _she_ laughed. Not telling you why, but I think you'll work it out eventually. :p

_LadyOrient_: Indeed it is, and we need a bucket of cold water for _this_ chapter. ^_^

_eyriess_: Does anything ever go as planned? *thoughtful*

_KuronekoHikage_: O_O;; Um... tempting... #-_-#

_Fire4Ice_: I will! I will! I will!

_umi n secylia_: Good to hear.

_Reiven_: Not yet they're not.

Little bit longer, this one. Actually, it's pretty much the normal length.

****

Disclaimer: See first page 

* * *

"Tomorrow's the big day." Tala sighed, shivering as he set the razor aside, splashing water up over his face.

Bryan looked up toward him from where he sat cross-legged on his bed, rearranging his pack to make room for food. "Nervous?"

Tala hesitated, then nodded. "We were born in this Abbey. It's been our home our entire lives. We've never known anything else."

"Not quite true, Wolf. We've spent a couple of days at the Hiwatari's, as well as the nights at the hotel near the stadium."

"You know what I mean, Falcon."

Bryan shrugged, fingers playing over the lid of a box at the bottom of his pack and quickly covering it up before Tala could see it. "Anyhow, Wolf, the Abbey has only ever been a place that we lived. It's never been 'home'."

Tala smiled, stepping from the bathroom and moving to the bed to sort through his own things. They had decided that Ian and Spencer would carry the blankets, while he and Bryan would carry the food, saving the other two needing to repack their own bags when it came time to leave. However, it would mean only one blanket between two, so they would need to run the idea by the other two in the morning.

Tala looked up as he carefully stacked everything into the pack. "When we get out of here, what's the first thing you want to do?"

Bryan paused, frowning. "I'd like to go to a movie, just to see what it's like."

"I want to go to a restaurant or café, and eat _anything_ I want without having to worry about Boris telling me off for eating foods not on our diet."

"Mm. Like that." Bryan closed his pack. "Walk down a street and have time to stop and smell the roses."

Tala nodded his agreement. "Go to a circus or theme park, and ride the roller coaster till I'm sick."

"Go to a drag race, or drive a go-cart."

"A boat ride."

"The zoo."

"_Definitely_ the zoo." Tala thought for a moment. "Travel and see the Seven Wonders of the World."

"Or simply just _travel_." Bryan smirked. "Eat ice cream 24 hours a day."

Tala laughed. "Can't say no to that one. I've always wanted to try ice cream. And, of course, chocolate."

Bryan nodded. "Go to a night club, or rock concert. Dance the night away."

"Music!" Tala grinned from ear to ear. "It's been so long since I heard music." Tala closed his pack, dropping it beside the bed. "Oh Bryan, I can't wait to get out of here."

"I know exactly how you feel, Tala." Bryan set his own pack down on the floor, looking up. "The one thing I've always wanted to do is actually take some lessons in learning how to wood carve properly."

"You should. You have a real natural talent." Tala turned so that he was facing him. "I might take some drawing lessons. Or maybe learn to play an instrument."

"I've always wanted to learn guitar." Bryan sighed, eyes distant. "It's beckoning us, Tal, the freedom. All our lives it's been training, drills, orders, punishment, curfews." His eyes twinkled as he met Tala's icy orbs. "I'm gonna stay up all night, just wandering the streets, and coming home the next morning."

"I'd prefer the next afternoon." Tala reached out, taking Bryan's hands in his. "There's so much we've never done, isn't there? We never really had a childhood. We never really _lived_. And now the opportunities here…"

"It scares you," Bryan finished, closing his fingers around Tala's. "The Abbey's secure, and, in many ways, sheltered. Out there, the freedom, is so vast and limitless. It's… daunting."

Tala nodded. "Very." He paused. "But there is one thing. When I experience all these new things… I want to do it with you."

Bryan met his eye, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Then you shall. You honestly don't believe I would simply let you run free in the big bad world without supervision, do you?"

Tala gaped, then mock growled. "I am not a child."

"Well you sound like it, kid." Bryan ran his gaze over the others expression. "All wide eyed innocence and naivety."

Tala slid closer to Bryan, reaching out to trail his fingers over the strong jaw. "I know you're as excited about it as I am, Bry, only you won't allow yourself to show it."

Bryan touched Tala's face in return, tracing the contours with his fingertips. "It's been years since I've shown emotion. _Felt_ any true emotion. My memories of happiness and excitement… are distant. Almost out of reach."

"Then you must create _new_ memories. Break down the barriers and open yourself up once more." Tala rested his forehead against Bryan's, the two sitting in silence for a long while before Tala spoke. "Bry?"

"Hmm?"

Tala met his eye. "Were you and Panas… actually involved? Or were you just joking?"

"I don't joke." Bryan raised an eyebrow. "Are you jealous, Wolf?"

"No, just curious." Tala reached up and absently ran a hand through Bryan's hair. "How many have there been?"

"Just Panas and you, that's all." Bryan met his eye. "Panas and I… it was more experimental than anything. We'd developed a crush on each other, we kissed a few rimes, nothing more than that. I was 14, he was almost 17, and just after that we were put into different training groups anyhow."

Tala hesitated. "You're my first."

"Bullshit." Bryan frowned. "How come? Guy as cute as you should be able to pick up a lover easy."

Tala smiled faintly. "I've had crushes and some of the guys have made advances, but I've never really had the nerve to do anything about it. I guess… I guess I was just waiting for the one."

Bryan pulled back, watching him. "And you think I'm 'the one'?"

Tala met and held his gaze. "I don't know. I'm unsure about these things. I want to say yes, but I can't if I'm unsure."

Bryan's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "You're never unsure about anything. I cannot remember a day where you were unsure."

"Well I'm unsure about this." Tala sighed, brushing the hair back from Bryan's face. "I know I love you. I want nothing more then to spend every moment of my days with you… but how do I know that won't change?"

"You don't." Bryan shrugged. "Life is one big gamble, and love is the wild card. The card you have may be the one to win the game, or it might be one that seemed good at the time but turned out to be completely useless. And it doesn't help that the cards in your hand are always changing either."

Tala blinked. "So the wild card might be good one minute, but a throw away the next?"

"Yes. But at the same time, that wild card might be the best card you could ever get, but you don't know that."

Tala groaned. "It's confusing."

Bryan chuckled. "One reason why I'm glad I do not sense emotion."

It was Tala's turn to narrow his eyes. "Actually, I think you _do_ sense emotion, only you don't know it."

"I think I'd know it, Wolf. Besides, they made _sure_ I sense no emotion."

Tala shook his head. "No, I believe you do. Why did you get involved with Panas?"

Bryan scrutinised him. "Because I was physically attracted to him, like I am you."

Tala nodded, leaning forward. "And _why_ did you break up with him?"

"Because it didn't…" Bryan's voice trailed off as he blinked.

Tala nodded knowingly. "Because it didn't feel right. Your heart told you it was wrong, and you listened. You weren't in love with him."

Bryan snorted. "He's better as a friend anyway. I know what you're doing, Wolf. You're trying to tell me that the key to my emotions is my heart. Well, there's been a lack of communication between my heart and my emotions for some time now."

"Then repair the link." Tala tilted his head to the side. "Or you can let me do it for you. So tell me, does _this_ feel right?"

Bryan glared at him for a moment, then looked away. "We're back to the 'unsure' issue."

"Can't escape that, can we?"

"No way in hell." Bryan caught the time out of the corner of his eyes and blinked. "Time flies."

Tala spotted the clock. "Time does. And here I was telling Ian and Spencer to go to bed early."

They shuffled, sliding between the sheets of the bed for the last time, Bryan reaching back to hit the light switch as Tala settled in against him. Bryan smiled, finding and tracing Tala's face in the darkness, bringing his lips down to follow the path created by his fingertips. Tala sighed contently, one arm sliding around Bryan's waist as lips met in a long goodnight kiss.

As Tala slowly drifted off into a dreamless sleep, Bryan was left contemplating his words before slumber eventually caught him.

* * *

Now that's what I call a heart-to-heart. And some of those things they want to do are so everyday its scary.


	22. Chapter 22

****

Chapter 22

_phoenix the 1st_: I have large brown eyes, but I can't resist a man with blue eyes. Interestingly enough, the two characters I like have lavender and violet eyes. Must be the personalities. :p

_Bloody Mary_: Your bonehead comment cracked me up. 

_Jay Kamiya_: Hope I didn't confuse you there.

_russle_: If I tell you why I laughed it will give away the end of the story, so you'll just have to wait. Sorry. :p

_eyriess_: The author alert is great indeed. So is the review alert feature. :p

_KuronekoHikage_: Chocolate and ice cream? Damn, how did I miss that!? And I'm the _author_. smacks head against keyboard

_Castles in the Sky_: They'll get to experience it soon... maybe... you hope... :p

_Ashla_: But by missing chapters you go longer without getting a fic fix. I could never do that. 

_umi n secylia_: Tala and Bryan romantic. Who'd have thought, eh? 

_LadyOrient_: I think they might need to breathe there. :p But yes, it's good that there remains the hopes and dreams. If you don't have that, you have nothing.

And the next morning…

****

Disclaimer: See first page 

* * *

Ian hit the light switch and groaned, shifting the bag to his other shoulder. "You guys are screwing each other, I know it." 

Two pairs of eyes, one blue and one lavender, cracked open to glare at him. Spencer followed his young comrade into the room, Panas and Aizik just behind, all three trying not to laugh.

Tala yawned, stretching. "Is it after breakfast already?"

"Sure is," Panas said with a smile. "You slept in."

"No one said we can't," Bryan muttered as he pushed himself up, rolling his eyes as Tala looped his arms around Bryan's middle, snuggling in. "We have to get up, Tal."

"Comfy…"

Bryan sighed, shaking his head. "Well I need to go."

"Hold it in."

Bryan gently pulled Tala's hands free and slid from his arms, disappearing toward the bathroom as Tala glared at his back.

Spencer shrugged. "When ya gotta go, ya gotta go."

Panas chuckled. "Amen."

Aizik settled into a seat, looking around and taking in the backpacks, then reaching out to pat the bags on the table. "I checked my books and found some fruit, vegetables, and pastries that will help you on your journey. I'm getting some meat this afternoon, as well as some drinks that I'll mix up for you."

Tala slid from between the sheets, straightening his shirt. "Just so long as it tastes better than that other stuff you mixed up for us."

Aizik took it in his stride. "The other stuff was a dietary supplement to rebuild your blood count and immune system, as well as nourishing you at a faster rate. It was made to work quickly, not taste good. Nevertheless, the drinks will taste better. Any requests for flavours?"

"Anything."

Bryan joined them, the two eating a large meal to build themselves up, running their plans by Ian and Spencer. Spencer agreed with the two blanket idea, adding the body heat element and further enhancing the argument for doubling up of a night. Ian simply sat and glared, barely listening as Aizik made some last minute checks of the two fugitives and giving them the okay but be careful.

Finally Tala's eyes slid toward the youngest member of the group. "What's _your_ problem?"

"You." Ian's eyes narrowed further. "Yesterday you told us you weren't screwing each other, and yet when we walk in this morning–"

"We are _not_ screwing each other." Tala paused, then smirked mischievously. "Yet."

Panas, Aizik and Spencer snorted, trying to cover their smiles as Bryan raised an eyebrow. Ian simply scowled.

"So you admit you two are involved?"

Tala shrugged. "Does it really matter if we are or not?"

"It does to _me_."

Panas looked at him. "How come? You a homophobic or something?"

Ian shook his head. "Not at all. Most of the guys here at the Abbey are gay, it's just that Tala's the team captain."

Tala raised an eyebrow. "Your point being…"

"My point being that Bryan is a team member and you'll take preference over him."

This time, Spencer _did_ laugh. 

"Ian, Bryan's the best blader in the Abbey. He _already_ had preference." Tala reached out and patted Bryan's arm, causing the other to look up. "As far as I'm concerned, the only reason _Bryan_ isn't the captain of this team is because Boris can't control him. Anyhow, what does it matter if we're involved or not? I go by skill when choosing who battles, not likability."

"You shouldn't get involved with your teammates."

Tala frowned. "Are you trying to tell me who I can and can't date?" Ian looked away, causing Tala to sigh. "What am I going to do with you?"

Bryan looked at him slyly. "I say we kill him."

Tala glanced to the side. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

Bryan smirked, eyes sparkling with predator intent.

Ian swung around, pointing accusingly at Bryan. "He is _insane_."

Panas sniggered. "Oh yes. He was born that way, trust me."

"Would a sane person stand up to and back answer Boris?" Tala leant forward. "Look Ian, I'm perfectly capable of making my own choices, and have been doing so since before you were born. Bryan and I have been to hell and back, and I'm not just talking recently either." Blue eyes narrowed. "I don't care what you think, I don't care what _anyone_ thinks, I'm staying with Bryan."

Aizik applauded, stopping and looking away when Ian glared at him

Ian turned up his long nose, leaning back and crossing his arms, closing his eyes. "Well I don't have to like it."

Bryan's gaze shifted to Tala. "Want me to string him up by his suspenders?"

"Tempting, but no." Tala gazed coolly at the youngest member of the team. "You're right, you _don't_ have to like. But that's not going to change anything now is it?"

Bryan's eyebrows rose marginally, eyes drifting to meet Panas's as they took in Tala's tone, preparing themselves for the explosion. Spencer shifted in his seat, eyes flicking between Ian and his captain, reaching out to touch the youngers shoulder.

"Eh, Ian, maybe you should–"

Ian growled. "Come on Spence, surely you can see the problem with this. Not only will Tala give Bryan preference, but Tal will be distracted in his matches. That, and we all know Bryan's the kind who only wants one thing–"

Panas cleared his throat, cutting him off. "Actually, Bryan's not. And that comes from experience."

Spencer and Aizik stared at him, Ian barely registering what had been said. "And how could anyone want Bryan anyway? There are tons of guys better than him. He just isn't good enough–"

"And you are?" Bryan's gaze finally fell on the youngest member coldly. "You know Ian, it almost sounds like you're jealous. Perhaps you be wanting Tala for yourself?"

Aizik gestured to him. "Actually, he has a point…" He fell silent as Ian's glare fell on him again.

Once Aizik was silent, Ian's bright crimson eyes fell on Bryan in a burning glare. "What makes you think _you're_ good enough?"

"Absolutely nothing, and I've asked that question myself." Bryan shrugged it off casually. "It's Tal's choice. If he wants me, he wants me. He did make the first move after all."

Ian blinked. "He… what?"

Tala chuckled. "Bry likes playing hard to get."

"I'm entitled to my fun." Bryan winked at him. "And it ain't a crime, despite what you might think."

Panas bit back a smile. Some things just don't change.

"You always _did_ like making things tougher than they are," Tala smiled warmly at the lavender haired teen. "But then, that's just you, isn't it?"

"Let's me know how serious you are." Bryan met his eye, a faint smile on his lips. "If you weren't in for the long haul, you'd have given up long ago."

Tala blinked, it suddenly dawning on him that this was more than a game to Bryan: it was a test to see what Tala's intentions were. "You sly prick."

The smile widened. "Your opinion of me improves if I've risen from the rank of 'jerk' to the rank of 'prick'."

Spencer looked from one to the other. "So it's Tala that want's Bryan, and not the other way around?"

Tala nodded. "Wanted him for a long time."

"Who says you've got me yet?" Bryan glanced at him, then at the clock. "And you four had better get movin' unless you wanna give us away and force me to kill you all."

Panas glanced at the clock and did a double take. "Jesus, time moved. We'd better run, and quickly." He reached out, grabbing the daydreaming Aizik by the collar and shooting a look at the other two. "Come on."

* * *

Some friction there between Ian and Tala and Bryan. Could cause some problems in the future.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

_Bloody Mary_: Give Ian a teddy? A fluffy one? Pink maybe? :p

_russle_: Ian's just a prick, of course his excuses were lame. That doesn't mean I don't like him of course.

_phoenix of order_: _Both_ Tala and Bryan broke their arms, actually. Or at least fractured them. They used their forearms to block the blows from Boris when he used the rod.

_Disengage_: Addicted to the story? Gee. Sounds like I need to send you to rehab. :p

_eyriess_: Patience... Patience...

_phoenix the 1st_: Maybe he's jealous cause Bryan's getting laid and he isn't.

_Ashla_: Oh c'mon. Tala was comfy. It was cruel of Bryan to move. :p

_Jay Kamiya_: One of my fave lines that.

_Curtis Zidane Ziraa_: A conflict with Boris? Why? I'm having fun here. :p

_KuronekoHikage_: Mmm. Yummy hentai thoughts there. ##

_LingXiaoyu_: Ian's not really a homophob. He just doesn't like the fact Bryan is with Tala.

_umi n secylia_: Uh... what?

Tala is _not_ going to be happy with Bryan about now.

Disclaimer: See first page

* * *

As soon as they were gone, Tala turned toward Bryan, glaring at him. Bryan paid him no mind, picking up the bag of food and opening it, beginning to sort it into two piles so they could be stored in the backpacks. 

Tala's glare narrowed. "I don't know if I should kiss you or kill you."

"You could always do both."

"Bryan." Tala drummed his fingers on the table, watching the other work. "It was all a _test_?"

"If you continued to chase me, you really wanted me."

"I _do_ want you."

"Which I now know." Bryan glanced up. "Don't look at me like that, Wolf. I have my reasons."

"Oh really? Like what?"

"And don't use that tone of voice with me." Bryan slid from his seat, retrieving his pack and bringing it to the table. "Sometimes the best way to avoid pain is to make sure you don't place yourself in a position of getting hurt."

Tala blinked, then let out a disbelieving laugh. "And you say you don't have feelings. You're protecting your heart."

"The most vital organ in the body." Bryan shuffled his things around, sliding the food in amongst them, glancing up. "Are you going to sit there and tell me off, or are you going to help?"

"I'm not telling you off, Bry… you've just taken me by surprise." Tala regarded him as moved to get his own pack. "And here I thought you didn't care."

"I don't."

"Forgive me if I don't believe you." Tala set his pack on the table, picking up an item from the second pile. He looked up, watching how the hair fell around the others face, the faint furrow in his brow. "So, am I worth risking getting hurt for?"

Bryan glanced up quickly. "You are, yes."

Tala smiled, keeping his silence as they filled the bags, making sure to leave enough room for the remainder still coming. As they closed their packs and set them down beside their teammates, Bryan turned only to find himself pushed back against the wall, lips firmly pressed against his.

They fought for dominance, neither gaining the upper hand as it became more heated, Tala's hands slowly beginning to wander. As they slid toward Bryan's waistline, Bryan reached down, catching them and breaking the kiss.

"Ah-ah, Wolf. Not yet."

Tala growled as he fought to regain his breath. "You playing hard to get again, Falcon?"

Bryan shook his head, then shrugged. "You're not ready to go that far. Once you start, you can't stop."

"I want you."

"Maybe, but not yet." He gestured toward the door leading out into the grounds. "Besides, you're gonna need to save your strength for tonight."

Tala watched him for a moment, then nodded. "You're right."

"However," Bryan stepped away from the wall, snaking an arm around Tala and reaching up with the other, trailing fingertips down Tala's cheek. "That does not mean we cannot continue this."

Tala closed his eyes as lips met once more, no longer desperate, but rather gentle and meaningful, making him feel as if he were going to melt. He leant into it, grip tightening around the elder as the kisses became deeper, longer, harder. He moaned softly, making a mental note to tell Panas that Bryan was _indeed_ still a good kisser.

The need to breath was the only thing that drew them apart, foreheads resting against one another as they stared into each others eyes, lavender and blue mixing, searching for what remained unsaid.

The sound of fast approaching footsteps caused them to look up, Bryan stepping away from Tala as the door burst open. "Panas?"

"We have a problem," Panas gasped, eyes wide.

Tala felt his stomach knot. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Panas swallowed hard, eyes darting from one to the other. "Boris is back."

* * *

Oo;; 


	24. Chapter 24

****

Chapter 24

_phoenix the 1st_: It was bound to happen, something go wrong. When things go so well... its fate.

_Lady Snowblossom_: I'm a goddess of cliffees. Always room for improvement though

_russle_: He is back, and now things start happening

_Ashla_: If only it were that simple

_Bloody Mary_: Who knows how long he'll avoid it. And thanks for the story for the site!

_phoenix of order_: What will they do? Run of course.

_Disengage_: I put you in rehab and you keep coming back. Don't get too addicted. All good things come to an end you know.

_LingXiaoyu:_ I just installed some air conditioning. Help?

_eyriess_: You're happy Boris is here? You're weird.

_umi n secylia_: Thank you.

_Castles in the Sky_: Hope you enjoyed your holiday. Glad to have you back.

_Curtis Zidane Ziraa_: Oh, just spoil my fun why don't you.

Boris is back early. Not good. Not good at all. 

****

Disclaimer: See first page

* * *

Grey eyes narrowed as he heard the footsteps of the last guard fading into the distance, leaving him to regard the boys. The entire Abbey were lined up before him, having been interrupted as they ate lunch, shocked by his early return, and none more so then the two standing stiffly at attention.

Boris growled softly at the back of his throat, remembering how he had arrived back and made his way straight to his office. Everything had seemed in place as he retrieved his keys, making his way down to the dungeon and wondering what to do with the two bodies that awaited him there.

Only they _hadn't_ been there.

And now he was furious.

"When I am displeased, those who caused my displeasure are punished," he began. "And when that punishment is interfered with, I become… rather unhappy. Tala Yuri Ivanov and Bryan Kuznetsov failed their missions and were being disciplined, and yet I return to find them gone. They cannot have left themselves, so it is obvious that they were assisted."

He let his gaze rake over the gathered, noting that a few were not present. Alexander, he knew, would be in the lab. The reserve team was still training under the direction of the always faithful and reliable Panas and would continue to do so for the next hour. Roughly a dozen or so boys had come down with a flu virus that rendered them unable to train and had been sent to the medical wing. He would deal with them later.

Several of the boys shifted as his gaze played over them, a quiet fear reflecting in their eyes that pleased him. As it was, all the boys that had been through the Abbey had feared him, save one. Bryan had always been an inconvenience, and one he had thought dealt with. So many of the younger and older boys alike looked up to the one they called 'Iceheart', meaning that the quicker he was located and dealt with the less likely there would be a rebellion.

"It would be easiest for those who were behind their removal from the dungeon to step forward and give themselves up, but I know that it is unlikely for this to happen. But as it is, I already know who is behind it." His gaze shifted. "Ian, Spencer, report."

The two boys exchanged a quick glance, a soft muttering moving over the group as the two stepped forward to stop before Boris. "Yes sir."

Boris glared down at them. "I was considering you two a second chance as part of the Abbey's top team, but now I see that you are no longer reliable, and therefore no longer of use to me. I will find Tala and the insufferable Bryan, note this. But for now, I will simply make do with dealing with you two."

A collective gasp moved over the group as Boris drew the handgun and levelled it on the two, eyes moving from one to the other. "Now the question is, who do I start with?" He dragged the moment out, frowning ever so slightly as he noted several of the boys casting quick glances behind him, though he heard nothing. His eyes narrowed. "I think I'll start with… Bryan!"

He swung around, Bryan sidestepping as the gun fired and missed, bringing his rod up and catching Boris on the wrist, the gun flying out of his grip. Before Boris could move the rod connected with his chest, doubling him over.

Bryan smirked, eyes glittering with pleasure. "The question is, how do _you_ like it?"

He brought the rod around one last time, catching Boris in the side of the head and bringing the big man down hard onto the floor. Bryan tossed the rod down at him, the metal bar clattering on the stone as Bryan looked up at his teammates.

"We're leavin'. Right now."

Ian glanced at Boris as the other boys cheered. "What about the guards?"

"Tala has them distracted. He'll meet us halfway."

The three boys moved toward the hallway, Bryan pausing as he heard someone call his name.

"For the road, Iceheart."

Aizik tossed the bag at him, Bryan catching it easy and nodding his thanks. As he turned, his eyes met Panas's as the 21-year-old joined the others, the reserves filing in behind him. Bryan touched his forehead in a salute, causing Panas to smile and return it, adding a wink of good luck. A small smile played across Bryan's lips as he followed his teammates from the room.

* * *

Boris is going to feel _that_ one in the morning. :p And why aren't the special characters working?


	25. Chapter 25

****

Chapter 25

_phoenix the 1st_: He'll be feeling it for a while indeed. :p

_Acey1_: Bold? Not really. Bryan hits Boris a lot in my fics. But I can tell you he enjoyed that one a lot. Bryan that is.

_Disengag_e: Feel sick? How come? Getting withdrawal already? :p

_Cat in the web_: Boris will be feeling that one in the morning for sure.

_LingXiaoyu_: I'll have to buy you a new one. Anyway, enjoy this chapter while you wait.

_Bloody Mary_: Striptease!?!?!? RAOTGLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

_russle_: Boris always knows when Bryan is there, just as Bryan knows when Boris is there. They just know each other.

_Ashla_: Don't you wish he'd do it again?

_eyriess_: Yep, they're escaping all right.

_KuronekoHikage_: Of a night I _pray_ for hentai dreams. #--# And go easy. Don't kill Boris there.

_Curtis Zidane Ziraa_: Didn't kill anyone? Stories not over yet. :p

_Falc0n_: Hello! Welcome! Hope you hang around and keep on writing so I can keep on reading and then writing and you can keep reading and then writing and... yeah. --;;

_Castles in the Sky_: I'd say that's what he's thinking.

_Lady Snowblossom_: He'll wake up. The bad guy usually does. :p

_umi n secylia_: QuickEdit's doing it. And I've updated!

And they're on the move.

****

Disclaimer: See first page

* * *

"You guys took your time."

"Forgive us, Captain," Ian answered sarcastically as he fell into step beside Tala as they hurried for the boiler room, Tala having effectively rendered the interior surveillance system offline. "We were a little busy being held at gunpoint."

Tala shot a look at him, then at Spencer who nodded confirmation. "Excuse accepted."

They made it to the boiler room unchallenged, slipping through the trap door and closing it behind them, dashing down the passage to the room. Reaching it, Spencer and Ian made last minute checks, throwing on their jackets as Tala and Bryan divided up the last of the food Aizik had thrown Bryan.

Once they were ready, they slid on the backpacks, pulling their cloaks on over the top. They exchanged quick looks, Tala nodding and moving toward the second doorway, pulling it open. A blast of cold air whipped up toward them, tugging at their hair and filling them with foreboding. Tala drew a deep breath, reaching back and finding Bryan's hand. They exchanged a quick look, Tala taking the first step; there would be no going back from here.

Bryan's free hand found the light switch, flipping it off and plunging the room behind them into darkness. Spencer pulled the door closed, the sound echoing down the passage like the steady beat of a war drum. They hesitated, Tala setting himself.

"Let's go."

They moved forward, falling into step with one another, Ian taking the lead with Spencer just behind, Tala and Bryan bringing up the rear. Their eyes were focused on the faint white light ahead, a bright point that continued to grow as they drew nearer to it. Their steps seemed as loud as their heartbeat in their ears, faint nerves playing through them mixed with excitement. Only Bryan seemed untouched by these raw emotions that plagued the others.

Ian stopped at the foot of the ladder, glancing back before scaling it, reaching the top and pushing up at the door. He grunted as it refused to budge, Spencer narrowing his eyes and joining his young friend at the ladder top, reaching up with one hand and forcing the lid to open. There was a scraping of stone on stone, all four blinking as the pure unfiltered light poured in, Ian blinking and clambering out, waiting for the others.

He glanced back at the passage entrance, stopping dead and letting out a faint whimper. The others frowned at him as they climbed out, following his gaze and starting. Once they were all out of the passage, Spencer resealed it, the four staring in silence until Bryan raised an eyebrow.

"Well, how many people do _you_ know who would open a grave?"

Ian shuddered violently. "It's an omen, I know it."

"If it is," Tala agreed, turning his back on the large marble-topped grave with its faded headstone, "then it signals the end of one life and the start of a new one."

They slowly made their way through the headstones, Ian swallowing hard, frowning as he saw Bryan reach out and drag his fingertips along two headstones that sat side by side. Ian looked closer, catching the name 'Kuznetsov' under the mould that grew on one, and pausing to take in the date of death, stomach tightening as he saw that Spencer had been right: Bryan's parents had indeed died the year Bryan had been born. Within a month in fact, which caused suspicions to bubble to life in Ian's young mind as he glanced back at the towering Abbey.

Noting that the others were getting ahead of him, he let those thoughts lie as he widened his step, hurrying after them, not wanting to be left in this place.

They picked their path carefully, sprinting across any open area though so far none had seen them. The alarms did not yet pierce the silence that fell thickly around them, making every small sound seem amplified.

They reached the fence, looking up at the last thing that stood between them and freedom of the place that had been their home for so long.

Ian frowned. "Now what?"

Bryan grunted, judging the height and nodding, setting himself as he took one last look around. Seeing that all was clear, he took off toward the fence, ignoring the pain in his leg as he took a springing leap, fingers catching hold of the top as he vaulted up to perch himself on the rim, looking back at them.

Tala was the first to join him, finding it easier to reach the snow-covered peak as Bryan helped pull him up. Spencer glanced at Ian, knowing that due to his smaller size he would be unable to leap so high. Grabbing the boy by the arm they hurried to the base of the wall, Spencer kneeling and cupping his hands in a step, Ian placing a foot in it and allowing Spencer to fling him upwards, Bryan and Tala catching the boy.

As Spencer prepared for his own run-up, Ian dropped to the other side, glancing around them and taking in the woods. He saw no sign of any of the sensors that had caught out the Blade Breakers less than a month beforehand, but then they were outside of the Abbey's grounds, so perhaps there would be none out here. Nonetheless, they still had better watch themselves.

Bryan and Tala grunted as they pulled Spencer up onto the wall as the elder's jump fell short of the height, all three dropping to join Ian. There was no time for congratulations as they took off at a quick pace, making a break into the woods, cloaks billowing out behind them.

* * *

I've actually divide a segment up. This is part I, and part II will be the next chapter. Oh, and in case you're wondering, I haven't forgotten Bryan's broken arm, it's just that he's very good at ignoring the pain in it. And then there's the fact that they're all on a Adrenaline rush as the moment…


	26. Chapter 26

****

Chapter 26

_phoenix the 1st_: I hope nothing stops them too, but no promises. :p

_Bloody Mary_: The grave thing just happened when I was writing and I read back over and I though 'wow'. And his arm is going to be bad. --

_Cat in the web_: Keep telling yourself something and it might happen, right? :p

_Disengage_: I finished writing this story a few months ago and have the separate chapters already set out in htm format. All I have to do is add the review responses and check for any small mistakes, then upload them. That's how I update so fast.

_russle_: I made the last chapter so you had to guess where they were. And no, it's not the end.

_KuronekoHikage_: I don't have AIM, I have AOL, and which one is Central Time? I'm on Australian Eastern Standard Time, which is GMT 10. And I love hentai. I've been writing a lot of late but I'm still uncomfortable with it. Sigh

_eyriess_: Bryan's simply just awesome, but I'm glad you like how I'm writing him. He is one of the hardest characters to write.

_umi n secylia_: Waiting for the romance? So am I!

_Fire4Ice_: Boris go after them? He might. :p

_LingXiaoyu_: It most certainly will. :p

_Curtis Zidane Ziraa_: And the rush continues...

_Ashla_: Not much left. There are 30 Chapters in total in this fic

_Castles in the Sky_: I have a whole back story to what happened to Bryan's parents, as well as the parents of Kai and Tala. I will have to write them. I have plans, actually, of a fic where Bryan learns what happens and it also features the relationship with Panas only it is slightly different in the fact they were together longer and they actually 'did it'. :p

_Jay Kamiya_: Must keep running. Must keep running. Must... ;)

_chibi drigger_: THANK YOU!

Here's part II of the last chapter

****

Disclaimer: See first page

* * *

They ran without pausing, not saying a word, eyes focused ahead as they cut a path through the trees. The more distance they placed between themselves and the Abbey the lighter they felt, giving them all the more reason to continue on.

They did not stop until the sun slowly began to sink toward the horizon, the four slowing by mutual agreement, all gasping. They were fit, more so than most their age, but they had put everything into their sprint that had lasted hours, and Tala and Bryan had still not completely healed.

Tala pointed toward a group of rocks, the others nodding and making their way toward them. Bryan's limp was heavy as he brought up the rear, the others sliding between the rocks and finding a clearing large enough for all of them.

They slid off their packs, dropping them to the ground before they all sat down, their breath having slowly begun to return. Tala wiped the sweat from his face with the back of his hand, looking around the others and grinning. Ian and Spencer returned the grin, Bryan smiling faintly.

"We did it," Ian said. "We actually escaped from the Abbey."

"We're not home free yet," Bryan reminded him. "But we've gotten further than anyone else has."

"Save for Kai," Tala agreed. "But Boris let him go."

Spencer opened his pack, digging out a blanket as Tala and Bryan pulled out some food, dividing it up. Ian pulled out the second blanket, tossing it at Bryan who glared at him as he pulled it from his face, the others chuckling.

They ate their first meal outside of the oppression that was the Abbey. Ian reached forward and picked up one of the energy drinks Aizik had prepared, unscrewing the lid and sniffing it, taking a sip and pulling a face.

"Ew, lime. I _hate_ lime."

Tala looked at him. "Then you don't have to have it."

Spencer picked up another, tasting it. "Orange."

Ian looked at him. "They must be all different." He tried another. "This one's raspberry. I might hang onto this one. Who wants the lime?"

Tala and Spencer shot each other reluctant looks, Bryan sighing and shaking his head. "Give it to me."

Ian tossed him the bottle.

Spencer looked up. "Who wants the orange?"

Three pairs of eyes settled on Tala, who scowled. "Look, just because orange is my favourite colour doesn't mean I like the taste of it." Three sets of eyebrows rose, causing him to sigh in defeat. "Okay, okay, I want it. Just give it here."

Spencer tossed him the bottle, taking up the last and sipping it.

Ian looked at him expectantly. "Well?"

Spencer shrugged. "Lemon."

Ian sniggered, gesturing to Tala and Bryan. "In that case maybe you should give it to them."

Bryan reached out and smacked him over the back of the head, turning his eyes toward Tala with a 'I told you so' look on his face. Tala shrugged.

"So maybe he _does_ know what he's saying. That just gives me a reason to hit him when he says something now, rather than just giving him the benefit of the doubt."

Ian looked at him. "You wouldn't really hit me, would you Tal?"

Tala smirked. "Wouldn't I?"

Spencer sniggered as the trees above swayed in a gentle breeze that they did not feel, the rocks providing an effective wind break. They finished eating, packing the leftovers back into the bags as the light faded to almost non-existence.

Ian shivered, frowning as he looked at Tala. "You know, I thought you said you weren't going to stop tonight."

Tala shrugged. "Changed my mind. Besides, I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted."

Spencer frowned. "You and Bry should try and take it easy, Tal. Don't overdo it."

"Don't you worry bout us." Tala smiled faintly, looking back toward Bryan. "Anyway, we missed lunch."

Ian chuckled. "Yeah, so did we. Hadn't even made it to the front of the lunch line when Boris burst in, looking like he was about to explode." He paused. "How did you guys know he was there, anyway?"

"Panas came and told us," Tala answered. "The reserve team saw his car pull up and they covered up Panas's absence by saying he had just gone to bathroom, but he actually came and got us."

"Ah." Ian looked up, frowning. "Looks like no moon tonight."

"Complete darkness," Bryan muttered. "Good cover, both for us and any rocks or holes we would trip over or fall into."

Spencer grunted. "If we had left tonight, we would have never made it over the fence."

They sat in silence for a moment, Ian shivering as the night's cold descended upon them. Spencer glanced behind him, picking a rock to curl up against and tugging at Ian's cloak as he moved back toward it. Bryan and Tala found a place on the opposite side of the clearing, brushing and tossing aside any small rocks they might lie on.

Ian settled himself in Spencers lap, a sleeping position the two had debated and decided on the night before as it would mean there would be no possibility of the larger rolling on and crushing the smaller.

As the complete darkness closed in, Tala held upon his cloak and allowed Bryan to join him under it as they pulled their own blanket around them, their packs within arms reach as Tala slid his arm around Bryan's shoulders, Bryan snaking his own arm around the youngers waist as they looked across at their teammates.

Tala smiled, pressing his mouth to Bryan's ear. "They make a cute couple."

Bryan sniggered as Ian called out "I heard that".

The darkness covered them like a shroud, Bryan looking up through the patches in the trees toward the stars. He listened as his teammates breathing became even as they slipped into a restless and dreamless slumber, glancing to the side as he felt Tala shift.

"They asleep?"

"Mm." Bryan closed his eyes. "They are."

"How come you aren't?"

"How come _you_ aren't?"

Tala reached out, finding Bryan's face in the darkness and turning it toward him, kissing him. Bryan returned it, sliding closer to his captain. Tala slid his free arm around Bryan as Bryan's hand slid up his chest and behind his head, running fingers through Tala's hair.

The kiss broke momentarily as they gasped at the air, lips meeting once more. Somewhere nearby an animal called into the night, but they didn't hear, lost in the kiss. Ian muttered in his sleep and shifted, snuggling deeper against Spencer's chest.

Tala's hand slid lower, Bryan's arm tightening around him in an unspoken warning that Tala ignored. Bryan brought his hand down from Tala's face and reached behind him, knitting his fingers through Tala's and stopping the path of the wandering hand without breaking the kiss. Tala groaned faintly in protest, Bryan laughing softly against his mouth only to jerk back as Tala nibbled hard on his lower lip.

Bryan narrowed his eyes. "Sore loser, Ivanov?"

"You just ruin all my fun, Kuznetsov."

"Just you remember where we are, Wolf. And who we're with."

Tala frowned, glancing into the darkness where he knew his friends were curled up. "Okay, you win that one."

"Besides," Bryan whispered. "You're not doing it right."

Tala blinked. "What? How do you know?"

"I've read a couple of books." Bryan shrugged. "Panas's books. You could say we were considering…"

"You were going to…"

"We didn't. Though we did try a couple of things." Bryan released Tala's fingers. "I'll have to show you some time."

Tala felt a shiver of excitement and longing run up his spine, then gasped as he felt the feathery touch slid up his thigh. "Bryan…"

"_That_ is how you do it," Bryan said with a smirk.

"God damn…." Tala swallowed hard. "And you tell _me_ off for wandering hands."

"Gotta keep you on your toes, Wolf." Bryan kissed him, almost teasing. "And you'd better keep it down. If Ian wakes up…"

"If Ian wakes up I'll knock him unconscious." Tala's fingers explored Bryan's face, leaning down to kiss him gently. "I wish we could do more."

Bryan kissed him back. "We can't have everything."

"No, we can't."

Lips met again in a gentle, drawn out goodnight, before they rested their heads together, shuffling and getting comfortable before allowing themselves to fall asleep.

* * *

Tala wasn't expecting that one, for sure. And this is their first night away from the Abbey. Scary… :p


	27. Chapter 27

****

Chapter 27

_phoenix the 1st_: Kai can't help them that much at the moment. They need someone higher in status.

_Cat in the web:_ Happy ending indeed. Life never has a happy ending, though you have to wish it did. ;)

_Castles in the Sky_: I'll have to get back to writing _Into the Light_. Been a while since I worked on that. _Into the Light_ of course being the follow up to this one. Only two in this series. :p

_Disengage_: It's okay not to say anything. Gives me nothing to reply to. ;)

_chibi drigger_: I updated!

_Bloody Mary:_ Mental images can be good. And yes, Bryan reads a lot. Very educational material those books. :p

_Jay Kamiya_: In many ways Bryan is worse than Tala. ;)

_Fire4Ice:_ I have! I have! I have!

_russle_: Pity Ian and Spencer _aren't_ a couple, but it gives me room to move. ;)

_eyriess_: There are fics I look forward to updating too... just wish they would... --

_KuronekoHikage:_ I have msn. And my time is Melbourne time by the way. What's our time difference? And very observant with the lemons! leaves offering for hentai gods

_Lady Snowblossom_: What I have problems with is the whole proportion thing. How the heck would Ian and Spencer...?

_Lullaby Lily_: Welcome! And good eye with the "I love you" thing. Seems some people have overlooked that fact. It'll be interesting to see the outcome of it. ;)

_umi n secylia_: Problem being there is no moon out tonight. :p

_Ashla:_ Bryan is the boss all right. Doubt Tala realises it yet, but.

_TigerTerror_: Wow. _Somebodies_ sucking up at the moment. Keep it coming. :p

Story is going to start moving fast from now on.

****

Disclaimer: See first page

* * *

As the sun burst into the sky, Ian's eyes cracked open. He yawned, stretching, blinking as he took in the unfamiliar surrounds before laughing softly. Spencer stirred, Ian jabbing him in the chest before the elder boy opened his own eyes, frowning. Ian grinned at him, Spencer looking around and smiling back, their eyes turning toward the other two members of the group.

As the light fell upon them, Tala's clear blue eyes cracked open. He glanced down at the still sleeping Bryan, a mischievous smile playing across his face. He moved his hand, slowly creeping it toward a destination.

He jumped and gave a short bark of pain, withdrawing it quickly.

Bryan pushed himself up, opening his eyes and glaring at him. "You just don't give up, do you Wolf?"

Tala returned the glare, shaking his hand as the pain from where Bryan had whacked him slowly began to fade. "Admit it, Falcon, you _enjoy_ playing hard to get."

"No secret."

Ian and Spencer exchanged a quick look as Bryan stretched, cracking his neck. Bryan looked toward them, one eyebrow raised and causing them to shift beneath his gaze, Spencer beginning to fold up his blanket as Tala tossed the other toward Ian.

They set about having their breakfast, Tala looking up and taking in the sky, noting that it looked to be another fine day.

Ian sipped his drink. "So what's the plan, Captain?"

Tala glanced at Bryan, before returning his attention to the younger. "We'll go all day. We'll shove some food in our pockets for around midday and stop briefly to eat. We won't stop until the sun sets."

Bryan frowned. "You planning to get to Moscow tomorrow?"

Tala nodded. "If we took the main road we could get there by this afternoon, but by going this way it'll take us longer. That, and I want to give us some extra time, some extra daylight, when we _do _hit Moscow."

Ian looked confused, but Spencer caught on. "You think Boris will be waiting?"

Tala nodded. "I do."

"Probably with half of the Abbey guards," Bryan muttered. "With fully loaded weapons, waiting at the doors to the BBA centre."

Ian blinked. "But the BBA won't let them."

"BBA can't stop them," Tala replied. "Russia is Biovolt's country. All Boris need say is that some whack job he was looking after has escaped and they need to detain him."

Ian sniggered, gesturing at Bryan. "Some whack job _did_ escape."

"Some whack job is going to punch your oversize nose in in a moment," Bryan's glare slid onto him, causing Ian to sink down a little.

Tala reached out and patted Bryan's arm soothingly, then looked up toward the sky before checking his watch. "Let's prepare. The sooner we leave the better."

They did not speak as they each took a piece of meat and some bread and biscuits, shoving them into their pockets before putting their packs back on, each now in possession of a drink bottle. Once they were ready, Tala stood and moved from the rocks, careful not to let his feet slide out from under him as he crossed some loose stones.

He paused at the edge, regaining his bearings; the last thing he needed to do was lead them back to the Abbey. He looked toward their destination, glancing back as the others joined him and taking in Bryan's limp. He raised an eyebrow, Bryan waving it off. Tala nodded, signalling the go ahead, the group once more on the move.

They settled into a steady jog, the icy wind nipping at their bare skin before exertion began to warm them. There was no need for the haste of the day before, the Abbey no longer seeming a threat. They were in the lull of the storm: they had conquered the first part, the actual escape. Now they need do is complete it, as they would not be free of Boris's wrath until the doors of the BBA centre slammed closed behind them.

There was no sound other than the steady rhythm of their steps as they wove a twisted path through the forest, birds singing overheard. As the day continued, Tala found himself fighting a wave of nausea, a firm reminder that he had still not recovered from the days locked up and being tortured in the darkness. He ignored it, blinking back the fuzziness of his vision. He must move. Rest would come later.

Bryan was fairing no better. His wound had at first been nothing more than a dull throb, but steadily it had increased, now feeling as if someone had poured acid into his leg, the burning sensation spreading like a wildfire as sweat plastered his hair to his face. He gritted his teeth, his own nausea threatening to overcome him, but he fought it back.

As the sun reached the peak of the sky, they slowed, dropping into a sitting position as they drank, eating the food they had set aside earlier that day. Ian and Spencer looked upon their comrades with worry, Ian questioning them about their health, but neither Tala nor Bryan answered, instead focusing on the trek ahead.

Once their meal was finished and they were satisfied that it had settled enough, they were on the move once more. Spencer suggested slowing their tempo, but Tala had taken up the same pace of that morning. Every step brought them closer to their ultimate freedom, every metre moving them toward a new beginning.

As the sun dropped from the sky ever so slowly, Tala still did not allow them to stop. Only when darkness began to creep into the woods did he slow, searching out somewhere to rest for the night. Ian spotted the fallen tree and pointed it out, the group moving toward it. Sure enough, when the tree had fallen it had taken down others, creating a sheltered nook between them large enough for the four of them to crawl into.

It was cramped, but the four exhausted bladers did not care. Tala reached into his bag and divvied out the food, Ian and Spencer pulling the blankets from their own packs and setting them down. Bryan shifted, pulling back his cloak and gazing down toward his thigh, sighing as he spotted the crimson stain. Tala glanced to the side, eyes widening.

"Bryan, you're bleeding."

"No shit." Bryan looked up. "Stiches probably came undone. It was only a rough patch job anyhow."

Ian leant over to look. "Maybe you should–"

"Ain't nothin' to do, kid." Bryan dropped his cloak back around him, taking the food Tala offered him. "Deal with it tomorrow once we reach the BBA centre."

They ate in silence, Ian stifling a yawn as darkness fall. "What I wouldn't give for a hot meal."

They others muttered their agreement, finishing though their bodies wanted more. Tala had rationed the food, allowing only so much for each leg of their journey, and it was just barely enough to keep them going.

Ian crawled into Spencer's lap, falling asleep almost instantly as Spencer drew the blankets around them. Tala reached out and drew Bryan to him, Bryan not fighting as he lay back against Tala's chest, for once not finding it hard to slip into a dreamless sleep, Tala pulled the blanket tighter around them, resting his head against Bryan's and joining his friends in slumber.

* * *

Another day gone, and they're not fairing well. Will they make it to Moscow? Or will they collapse?

**Got a question for you all**. I've completed writing this story, but I'm currently working on _Into the Light_, which is the sequel to this fic. What I'm asking is  do you think I should hook Spencer and Ian up, thought Spence is 19 and Ian is 12. Just put at the end of your review: 'Answer - Yes/No'. Of course, change your answer to suit your response. So what do you think?


	28. Chapter 28

****

Chapter 28

_phoenix the 1st_: The sequel is coming, I promise. Working on it.

_Wolfgirl_: Thank you so much! ##

_Bloody Mary_: I don't really read educational books. Just educational Fan Fiction. whistles in innocence

_Lady Snowblossom_: Lady, I can drive _everyone_ crazy.

_phoenix of order_: Tala only fractured his arm. And Spencer and Ian are only guessing that Bryan is sexually assaulted (100% not positive about rape). They won't find out until the next fic.

_Castles in the Sky_: Yes, positive thinking...

_Cat in the web_: Actually, I can write a sequel if they're dead. It's called everyone finding out that their dead and trying to work out what happened... ;)

_Disengage_: We'll see what happens, yeah? I'm not sure when it will be finished.

_DranzerGirl_: If only it were that simple...

_russle_: Love struck Mariah? /wince/

_Jay Kamiya_: You can only hope.

_chibi drigger_: Thanks!

_Shaman Wolf:_ He hates being pitied you know

_Fire4Ice_: Just my interpretation of the ages. They're not canon

_lilmatchgirl_: And what's wrong with being evil?

_Blk Dranzer:_ You'll have to wait and see.

_umi n secylia_: Yeah.

_KuronekoHikage_: Bad time gap. We'd have to do email rather than messenger. I'd gladly beta anything you send.

_Lullaby Lily_: Right about now I am worshipping you. That just works _so_ well. bounces happily only to smack head on shelf Ow

_LingXiaoyu_: The age gap thing is something they argue about my fave Star Wars pairing. I argue against it. As you said, just numbers, that's all.

_Ashla_: I'm getting evil in the sequel. I'm going to leave you all guessing.

_eyriess_: Hopefully it _is_ interesting.

_Kappy Locks_: Glad you're liking them. Keep reading and reviewing and I'll keep liking you. :p

_Matty hates so much Kai_: Answer recorded.

_Reiven_: Twitch no more!

**Yes =** 12  
** No =** 7  
** Yes but later =** 2  
** N/A = ** 3  
I've got an idea for what I'm going to do, but the results were somewhat interesting.

They're almost there…

****

Disclaimer: See first page

* * *

When the sun broke the horizon, it did so almost reluctantly. The boys awoke slowly, bodies aching, longing for more time to recuperate, but that time was not available. They ate, a faint buzzing of excitement in the air: today they would reach Moscow. Today they would finally be free.

They packed their things, crawling from the nook between the trees and standing. Spencer reached out and steadied Tala as he swayed, before Spencer had to grab Bryan as the others leg threatened to give way.

"It's nothin'," Bryan assured him. "Just a little stiff."

Tala rubbed his eyes, looking up. "Same speed as yesterday. We should reach Moscow within a couple of hours."

They set off, the tightness of their limbs slowly working loose as they continued to move, but at the same time the movement continued to drain Tala and Bryan. Sweat poured from their bodies, dizziness tugging at the corners of their minds, but yet they continued. The end was in sight, and now was not the time to give up.

The sun continued to rise unrelentlessly behind a growing mass of clouds. The air had taken on a stinging bite, snow threatening them from above. They ignored it, their only concern the increasing closeness of their destination and the need to keep moving.

Tala slowed as a bell tolled, the others joining him as they moved to a walk. The treeline grew nearer, hope washing over them as they reached it, the streets of Moscow open before them, beckoning.

Tala grinned, eyes racking the scene before him before the smile slid from his face. "Look."

They followed his gaze, Ian falling to his knees. "There's too many. We'll never get there. There's no way–"

"Shut the hell up." Bryan frowned, taking it in. "Boris knew we would come this way, so he would have placed most of the guards this side of town. He will not expect us to make it past the first line."

"Bryan's right," Tala agreed. "That's just how he would think. Once we get past the first defences, the odds of running into a guard will become less and less likely. Until we reach the BBA centre that is. He will have a lot of guards there."

Spencer looked to the side. "What do you suggest."

Tala's mind buzzed as he tried to figure it out, only to startle as Bryan spoke.

"I say we split up," Bryan said. "Tala with Spencer while I stay with the kid. Tal and Spence make first move on getting to the centre, Ian and I will follow. By that time Boris will be expecting us and the kid and I will be better at concealing ourselves. Also, less chance of getting caught if we move in pairs rather than as a group."

Tala shook his head. "No–"

Bryan looked at him. "Forget emotion, Tal. Think logic. It's the only way."

Ian nodded, resigned to his fate. "As much as I hate to say it, I agree with Bryan. There _is_ no other way."

Tala looked at Spencer who nodded, Tala slumping. "Okay, we split up. Spencer and I will lead off, you two will wait five and follow. Try to stay under cover until you reach the centre, then make a break for it."

They nodded.

Spencer turned to Ian and knelt down on one knee. "You watch your back, my friend, and listen to Bry for a change, okay?"

Ian nodded, hugging him. "You be careful too, Spence. Please don't get yourself killed, not after all this."

"I won't." Spencer hugged him back, smiling faintly.

Tala and Bryan watched the exchange before Tala said goodbye to Ian and Bryan to Spencer. As they shifted their packs and made ready to go, Tala's eyes fell on Bryan, whose lavender eyes looked up. They held the gaze, filling it with unspoken concern and love. They had told each other that they would not show their affection before the immature Ian, but as the moment took hold Tala stepped forward into Bryan's arms, lips descending upon his in a desperate kiss.

Ian straightened, blinking as he realised that it was indeed Tala who made the first move. He felt his cheeks warm as he watched them, tearing his eyes away. Spencer chuckled, ruffling Ian's hair playfully as the other two broke the kiss, hugging each other tightly before Bryan took a step back.

"You'd better go before you change your mind."

Tala nodded, forcing himself to turn away. "Be careful, Bry. Don't do anything stupid."

"I got the kid to watch out for, so I won't." Bryan paused. "See you at the end."

Tala nodded, looking up. "Come on, Spence. The sooner we start the sooner we finish."

"And you never know," Ian called. "Kai might be there."

"I hope he is," Tala smirked. "He owes me money."

As the other two vanished down the hill, Ian looked toward Bryan, taking in how the elder's eyes never left Tala. "Do you love him?"

Bryan shot a look at him, before turning his back on Moscow, looking at his watch. "I'm incapable of love. You know that."

"It's obvious he loves you." Ian shrugged, glancing toward the city, Tala and Spencer no longer in view. "I think you _do_ love him. You just don't know it."

Bryan watched him out the corner of his eye, regarding the youngers sudden interest in the relationship Ian had argued so strongly against. He shrugged it off, looking once more at his watch and readying himself. He had other concerns right now. He could think about this later.

For the moment, they had a blockade to slip through.

* * *

And now comes the hard part…

Hey everyone, I've got a new fic on Adult Fan Fiction that I could not put up here for various reasons, including the rating: NC-17. It's here if you wish to read it, just take out the spaces. http :adultfan.nexcess.net /aff /story.php?no=28184


	29. Chapter 29

****

Chapter 29

_phoenix the 1st:_ And what's wrong with a Demolition Boy fic? They're not all macho and thick skulled you know. :p

_Reiven_: You really need to get something done about that twitch. :D

_Bloody Mary_: Ian getting interested in _anything_ means trouble. And fan fictions... nothing better if you're looking for... eh... _answers_... #--#

_russle_: And what's wrong with the money Kai owes him being the first thing to pop into Tala's head? :p

_lilmatchgirl_: Splitting up works sometimes, and means doom the others. You'll just have to see which one I do.

_eyriess_: You're worried about Spencer and Tala? I'd be more worried about Ian and Bryan not killing each other. ;)

_LingXiaoyu_: It begins indeed. We're nearing the climax...

_Kappy Locks_: Ian's a mystery. All the Demo Boys are. That's what I like about them.

_Jay Kamiya_: Sappy scenes are always good. I'm just surprised Ian wasn't sick. :p

_umi n secylia_: Kai's been mentioned, is that not enough? This chapter and one more to go...

_Ashla_: I had the sequel all planned and have for a while, and it's starting to go a completely different way. Even I'm getting a few surprises in writing it!

_Lullaby Lily_: It's amazing the things readers pick out that writers don't. Love the analysis. Wish you could do one for all my fics!

_Disengage_: What's wrong with my other story? Is it because it's NC-17? That's only a safety to cover my arse. There are a few sex scenes, a rape, a little language use, and a lot of angst. That's all.

_Castles in the Sky_: I'm intrigued about your current situation. Has your lover gone away? (you don't have to answer that)

_Werewolf of Fire_: Nice login name. Almost done. Don't you want to prolong it?

_Rei-Is-Mine_: I've updated.

_KuronekoHikage_: No more info on the money situation. And I'll be glad to beta your fic. I'm an editor in training after all. That's all part of the Uni course I'm doing.

_Wolfgirl_: Something must have been wrong with FanFiction.Net. Sometimes it takes a while for me to get updates too.

They haven't got far to go, but expect some difficulties.

****

Disclaimer: See first page

* * *

It had been surprisingly easy to cut a path between the guards, but that did not make them any less weary. Tala and Spencer crouched against a wall, the BBA building in sight, but that was not what captivated their attention. There, sitting on the bonnet of one of the Abbey's black cars, directing the guards.

Boris.

"Well this complicates things."

Spencer grunted his agreement.

They had already made a wide circle of the building, taking in the layout and decided that there was only one real possibility: they had to enter via the front door. The others would take too long to open, giving the Abbey guards the time they needed to line them up in their crosshairs and bring their journey to a rather abrupt end.

"So what's the plan?"

Tala looked back at Spencer, frowning. "We'll try and get as close as we can, then make a run for it. It's the only way."

Spencer nodded, the two sliding back into the shadows and making their way through the alleys, ducking back as three guards casually strolled passed. One paused, glancing behind him, scanning the area. Seeing nothing, he shrugged, moving to join his comrades.

"Hear something?" One asked.

"Nah. Thought I felt someone watching me, that's all."

"Probably just one of the residents. They get curious you know."

The third grunted. "Just wish those kids would show themselves. I had plans for today."

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

His answer was lost as they rounded a corner, Tala and Spencer sighing in relief.

"Nothing I hate more than a guard with a sixth sense," Tala muttered, patting Spencer's arm. "Let's go."

They did not come across any more guards as they neared the side of the BBA building. Casting a quick glance at each other, Tala nodded, Spencer touching his forehead in a salute of understanding. They straightened, pulling their cloaks tighter around them, setting themselves before breaking into a run at an unspoken signal.

There was a cry from the blockade of Biovolt cars, Boris looking up sharply. "They mustn't make it! Stop them!"

The area came alive with weapons fire, Spencer and Tala using it to fuel their dash. They skidded to the side, diving through the doorway of the building, Boris swearing as the gunfire died down.

Spencer caught Tala as his captain slumped, energy suddenly leaving him. Tala laughed softly as he realised he had done it, before realisation played through him. Using Spencer's arm to straighten, he turned, eyes searching.

"Your turn Bryan, Ian. Just get here."

Outside, Boris swore, then laughed as he realised the Demolition Boys' plan. "Split up, hmm? Well you two might have made it, but the others won't."

He barked out orders, the guards swarming and setting themselves up, waiting with weapons drawn. The first sign of movement would cause them to open fire. There would be no way anyone else would make it to the BBA building alive.

Straightening, Boris searched the area around him. "Come on out, Bryan. I know you and the young one are there. As you can see, I am ready for you, so just give yourself up."

"Arsehole."

Ian shivered, pulling his cloak around him. "If we go out there they'll shoot us."

"I'd rather be dead than back at the Abbey." Bryan frowned, a plan formulating in his mind. "Wait here."

"Why? What are you– Bryan!"

Bryan didn't hear him as he slid from their position. He had watched, unconsciously holding his breath, as Tala and Spencer had made a break and successfully reached their destination, but in doing so it meant it would be harder for himself to get in. By using the front door Tala had indicated that there was no other possible way in, which meant he and Ian had to use the front door as well.

The thing was getting there.

He reached the stack of crates, searching them and finding what he was looking for. He picked up the length of hose and bucket, pocketing the cloth before creeping toward the closest of the Abbey cars, which also happened to be at the back of the group.

Glancing quickly at the guards facing the other way, Bryan reached up, flipping open the panel for the petrol tank and unscrewing the cap. He poked the hose into it, drawing the other end to his lips and sucking hard, trying not to splutter as the liquid filter through. He dropped the end of the hose into the bucket, watching it slowly fill. Content, he picked it up, slowly backing away, leaving the hose running.

He slowly poured a trail of petrol away from the car toward where he and Ian had been hiding. So far he had not been spotted, the way he liked it, as he continued to spill the contents of the bucket in a continuous stream. Reaching their hideout, he ignored Ian's questioning look as he pulled the cloth from his pocket and dipped the end in the remainder of the petrol, tipping the last over the ground before turning to his comrade.

"On the roof, kid."

Ian nodded, clambering up to the roof of the building, Bryan setting the bucket down and following Ian up, cloth still in hand. Perching himself on the edge of the roof, Bryan patted his pockets, finding the matches he always carried.

Ian blinked. "You smoke?"

Bryan shook his head, smirking. "I like burning things."

Ian shot him a concerned look. "You really _are_ insane."

"You have no idea." Bryan struck a match and picked up the cloth. "Get ready to run, kid."

Ian nodded as the cloth began to burn, Bryan leaning over and letting it drop toward the puddle of petrol below them.

* * *

I bet you know where this is going.


	30. Chapter 30

****

Chapter 30

_phoenix the 1st_: You said it a lot, yes. But I appreciate it.

_Shaman Wolf_: You chopped off his head!? Well, that works. And thanks for the Fan Art!

_Rei-Is-Mine_: I'm working on the sequel. Just got a lot on my mind at the moment.

_Ashla_: I hope it's good too. Just got to finish it. :p

_Acey1_: That's why you have a password that you can remember easily. But great to see you.

_eyriess:_ Die no more. The ending is revealed!

_Bloody Mary_: Some of those fan fics answer the questions you hadn't even thought up yet. :p

_Britt_: Keep reading. Hope you enjoy!

_Disengage_: Flattery will get you everywhere. :p Glad to have you around.

_lilmatchgirl_: I love that 'yet' right there. :D

_DranzerGirl_: Vodo doll? Now why didn't _I_ think of that? :p

_Kappy Locks_: Heh heh. Boom all right.

_KuronekoHikage_: You're probably right about that. ;)

_Werewolf of Fire_: Everyone's been suggesting that. I wonder why?

_Reiven_: You really need to do something about that twitch. I think I have the cure. The ending!

_umi n secylia_: Fire good.

_Castles in the Sky_: See, that's why I'm glad I'm straight... but then I can still have a similar problem with guys leading _me_ on. Life can be too hard.

_Cat in the web_: It's called a cliffhanger, and I am very good at them. evil grin

_Carapheonix_: I don't normally do requests, but I'll add that to my plot bunny list. _Centrepiece_ is a Bryan/Ray, so I can do that pairing, but Tala/Mariah will certainly be something different.

_Jay Kamiya_: We most certainly do. :D

_russle_: Bryan and fire have always fitted in my mind, and if I were in Ian's shoes, I'd freak.

_phoenix of order_: I've melted my hair on a heater. Smells real bad that. And I like fire, though I usually just burn sticks. Plastic cups can be rather entertaining dangling from the end of a stick over the fire. Interesting the shapes you can get. ;)

_Blk Dranzer_: Not off topic at all. And long reviews are great. :p

Wow. 30 chapters exactly. How's that. And yes, this is the end…

****

Disclaimer: See first page

* * *

Tala looked up as he heard the panicked shout. "What in the world?"

All eyes swung toward the roaring sound, following the fire as it cut a trail along the ground. Boris's eyes widened in realisation, shouting a warning that came to late. The fire trail reached the hose, shooting up it and into the tank which promptly ignited, the car becoming emersed in the fireball and throwing them backward.

Tala straightened sharply. "There!"

Two figures dropped from the roof, cloaks billowing out behind them as they almost seemed to fly across the ground. Boris screamed in rage as he realised what happened, snatching up a rifle and trying to line the lavender haired teen up.

Ian let out a sharp cry as his foot caught on a cobble, sending him into an unceremonious heap on the ground. Bryan swore, sliding to a stop and spotting the guard as he raised his rifle toward the boy. Bryan glanced around, snatching up the hubcap from the flaming car and hurling it as if it were a frisby, the edge catching the guard on the forehead and sending him crashing to the ground.

Bryan grabbed Ian by the cloak and yanked him up, throwing him forward as the boy regained his footing, Bryan glancing up quickly and ducking to the side as chips of rock flew up as Boris missed his target.

Bryan put everything into his run, watching as Ian dived through the doorway, Bryan just behind as a glass panel shattered. As Bryan collapsed onto the floor gasping, Boris threw down his gun.

"This isn't the end, boys!" Boris called. "This is _far_ from over."

Bryan pushed himself up, raising his middle finger to his forehead and using it to salute his trainer, smirking.

Boris glared at him, only to have his view blocked as a man came to stand in the doorway. "You cannot touch these boys now, Mr Balkov. They are now under BBA protection, and if you do not leave, I will be forced to call the authorities."

"Have it your way, Dickenson." Boris growled, gesturing for the guards to pack up. "But I will be back for my property. Do you hear me, Bryan!"

Bryan shrugged casually as Tala and Spencer helped him to his feet. "Give your yapper a rest, Boris. You always _did_ talk too much. Not that I ever listen anyway."

Behind them, Kai snorted as he came toward them. "Did he ever say anything worth listening too?"

Tala grinned. "Not really."

Boris shot them a glare, tempted to retrieve the rifle but instead climbing into one of the cars. The tires screamed as he planted the boot, swinging the car around and steering through the departing guards.

Bryan looked around and spotted the bench, limping toward it, dumping his pack onto the ground and dropping onto the bench sighing and closing his eyes. "Thank god that's over."

Tala looked at him and raised an eyebrow, moving to join him. "I thought I told you not to do anything stupid."

Bryan looked at him as the other sat down. "This is _me_ we're talking about here."

"I know."

"Who cares what happened," Ian said grinning as he clambered up on the other side of Bryan. "We did it! We actually escaped the Abbey!"

Spencer scratched the back of his neck. "Now what?"

Tala let out a long breath, rubbing his eyes. "How about a holiday?"

Ian stifled a yawn, snuggling into Bryan's side. "Never had one of those…"

Bryan raised an eyebrow and looked down at him as the other drifted off to sleep. Tala chuckled, noting how cute it was and resting his head on Bryan's shoulder, sliding an arm around him and closing his eyes.

Bryan slowly turned to look down at him, eyebrow raising further before he rolled his eyes toward Spencer who covered his smile with a hand.

"Well, you _are_ our pillar of support, Bry."

Bryan glared at him, before swinging his eyes toward the other. "Stop laughing, Phoenix."

Kai shrugged, chuckling. "It's cute. A good look for you, Falcon."

Bryan's eyes narrowed further into a death glare before he looked up as Mr Dickenson approached.

"Well boys, this is a rather interesting situation." Mr Dickenson clasped his hands together behind his back. "We are in a position to offer sanctuary, but I'm sure Mr Balkov will return to try and reclaim custody, unless we can find your parents."

"Look for my mother, and Ian has a mother and father," Spencer said. "Don't know where they are."

"Both mine and Tala's parents died in a plane crash when we were three," Kai told Mr Dickenson.

The elderly man turned. "What about you Bryan?"

"I know where my parents are," Bryan replied. "They're in the graveyard of the Abbey. Have been since I was a baby. Besides, I'm 18 and Spence is 19. Aren't we old enough to claim custody of the other two til they turn 18?"

Mr Dickenson's eyes brightened. "Indeed you can, yes."

"Stanley," they turned as Judy approached, making them aware that most of the other teams were gathered around. "The boys look exhausted, and Tala and Bryan both look like they're been fighting–"

"Boris did that," Kai growled, shooting a look at Bryan. "They lost their matches."

Bryan nodded his confirmation.

Tyson shifted. "Boris beat them up cause they lost their rounds in the finals?"

Kai closed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "Tortured them, probably. In the dungeon of the Abbey. He has a very good setup down there."

"He's improved it since you were last down there," Bryan said. "He's gotten nastier."

Kai growled. "Sick bastard."

Mr Dickenson shifted uncomfortably. "Come along boy's. The medical wing is this way. I'll have my people find you some food as well."

Bryan looked up toward Spencer. "You take the kid. I'll deal with the captain."

Spencer nodded, reaching down and picking up Ian, who curled up against his chest, not waking. Bryan shook Tala gently, sapphire eyes blinking open and sparkling. Bryan gestured to the side, Tala nodding and sliding to his feet, picking up his pack as he straightened his cloak, waiting for Bryan to join him.

As they followed Mr Dickenson, Tala stepped toward the heavily limping Bryan and slid his arm around his waist. "You do realise something." Bryan looked up at him. "We just ruined the Abbey's reputation."

Bryan shrugged, smiling faintly. "Its all just part of my talent for getting under Boris's skin."

Tala laughed.

* * *

****

Dekiagaru (Finish)

See! Kai _is_ in this fic! :p

Well that's all for now. I do hope you've enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Again, big thumbs up to Melanie to whom this story is dedicated. You're a real angel, and a gifted one at that. Hope to see you keep up the good work, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with torturing Tala and the D Boys. :p Sweatdrop

Keep an eye out for the sequel, _Into the Light_, hopefully coming soon.

Until next time, my friends.


End file.
